The Batak society

The term "Batak" is used to refer the original resident of North Sumatra. The areas referred to as their country is stretching from Medan up to the areas around lake Toba and further South in Mandailing regency, the border of West and North Sumatra.

Four sub-group is known for this Batak tribe those are Batak Karo, Batak Toba, Batak Mandailing, and Batak Simalungun. There is no physical and social differences, just a slight different in not visible behavior and dialect. Their different names refers the area where they live. Most of them are a Christian or Catholic, since around 18th century many Christian missionaries live in North Sumatra.

They also have Mongoloid characters, and speak Malayu- Polinesian language as the other part of Sumatra. Among them Toba was the latest area to open with other part of Sumatra, but soon getting so famous due to their natural beauty around Lake Toba with Samosir island on it. Historical remains of the Batak Toba in the past is still preserved well such as ancient king burial, slaughting altar, and the Tor Tor dance. These are all on the beach of Samosir island.

Now on the beach of Samosir island and across the lake called city of Parapat have been developing very fast as a tourists resort area with dozens of hotel small and big, nice roofed boats to cross the lake or sight seeing between island and places on the bank of the lake. The people of Batak is the resident of North Sumatra highland such as the present district of Tanah Karo, Simalungun, Tapanuli utara, Tapanuli Tengah, Tapanuli Selatan, Dairi and Ashan. That is also the ethnic of Batak is further grouped according to their district into sub ethnic of Karo, Simalungun, Pakpak, Toba, Angkola, and Mandailing. According to the record in 1930, the Karo were 120.000 persons, the Simalungun were 50.000, the Toba were 400.000, the Mandailing were 160.000 persons. Batak language also has the variation which are spoken by sub ethnics such Karo dialect, Pakpak dialect, Simalungun dialect, and Toba dialect spoken by the Toba, angkola and Mandailing. Figure in 1930 for the whole North Sumatra in 1930 was 2.500.000 and only 30 years later had double the number into 5.000.000 Compared to the size of North Sumatra which is 70.787 square kms, the density is only 70 person per square meter. As other ethnic of Indonesia the Batak also has house and village certain pattern which is specific for them.

Terminologies such as huta at Batak Toba refers a territory of one clan, The Karo use the name kesain, while kreta for the Karo is bigger then huta in Toba, which consist of various clans. In the past both kuta and huta were enclosed by tight woods as a wall of resistence against the attack of other huta or kuta. Within a kuta or a huta there are some rows of houses among which is open place as a yard for the place of ceremony of marriage, death and others. Some hutas had deep canal around, or high wall for their resistance. In it's court yard also built the farming rice granary which was also used as sleeping place by younger generations. Every villages of Karo, Simalungun and Mandailing have public hall for meeting, while for Batak Toba they have a spot of land near the main gate of huta. A typical mark of huta is a banyan tree at the front, which is considered as the symbol of nature. This idea reminds about villages in Bali. The pattern has now experienced much changes especially those resistance aspects as the war among kuta and huta has been in exist anymore. Lumban refers to an area settled by part of clan, and only exist in Toba. Sasor is a new small settlement, built because the huta has been full. The sasor after years can be developed into a huta if physical and spiritual characters have been fulfilled, and is given the approval by the bius. The terms of bius, partahian, urung and partumpukan each is used by the Batak of Toba, Angkola, Karo, Simalungun and Pakpak refers a unit of some hutas or kutas. In this case clannish border is neglected. The establishment of a huta must be followed by a ritual and paid the debt to the main huta. The ritual is started with the offering to the god of the earth called Boraspati ni tano. The offering consist of Batak land product, and conducted by a shaman called "datu".

This ceremony reminds about the same process of building a house in Bali which is called "Ngeruak" which is addressed to the god of rice "Dewi Sri", or the mother earth "Pertiwi". The son of Pertiwi is often referred as "Banaspati". So is should have been relation between the Batak and Balinese in some aspect of life under the Hindu influence.Batak house is called "Uma" or "Jabu" Toba, which shows they have same root with Balinese and other Indonesian ethnics. The Uma or Jabu is built on many wooden poles, but do not as high as those house on stilt on the islands. Their wooden board wall is made sloping, with roof made of palm black fibres. The size around 10 to 10 meters elongated east-west orientation. Doors are constructed on the west and east sides at Karo and Simalungun, while at Toba entrance is from the roof, and on the west and east side of the house have high caps the place to put buffalo horns. The peak of the house is made half circle. At Karo there is an ayo beside on Uma. An ayo is decorated with geometric ornamentations with colors red, white, yellow and black.

On the right and left are put sculptures, human head or lion's head sculptures. The wall is tied with rope made of black palm fibre to look like lizard. A typical aspect of Karo house which can not be found at other Batak houses is the bamboo terrace constructed at the front of the house as the place of the girl to meet with youth for a visit. A Batak house in general is a home for more than one families connected on genealogy, only in Toba that a house is for big families, as they live in virilocal system. In general the Batak live as farmer, grow rice with irrigation system, except at Karo and Simalungun there are still working at dry land by clearing and burn forest. At the dry land the owner of the land is the Kuta or huta, they have the right on the land, but there also land owned individually, for example what is called panjaean land, which is given to their son after his marriage as the capital for their life while pauseang land is the land given to a daughter after her marriage with same purpose as Panjaean. In general the Batak still cultivate the land by simple way, only once a year s harvest can be yielded. Women do not involve in process of cultivation. Other short live horticultures are not grown except on the shore of lake Toba. Their tools of cultivating land is still simple such as ; hue, plough, poles, and knife to harvest.

The plough in Batak language is called "tenggala" exactly the same name as Balinese used in Batak, the tenggala is drown by buffalowm while in Bali by 2 cows. Other subsistence for most of Batak society is growing pigs, cows, and chicken, for , meat supply to big city like Medan as well as the need of ceremony. The land of Batak Toba has the most beautiful scenery such as the view of Lake Toba with it's Samosir island. On the northern wall of Toba crater is a magnificent water fall called Sipiso-piso. This natural setting combined with tradition of the Batak on the island of Samosir has been one of the most visited destination is Indonesia. Combined with specific fauna of Orangutans at Mount Leuser national park, north Sumatra has become very famous destination. An example of tour program to this natural beauty can be visited here Bohorok tour.

Marriage tradition in Batak society in the past born kinship system at the same level of understanding between sub-ethnic of the Batak with some different terminologies for certain kinship aspects. The ideal marriage according to Batak old tradition is merry the daughter of mother's broder's daughter. A youth was not free to choose his partner, he must follow the family tradition. Today this tradition is not followed by a large part of the society anymore. The initiative of delivering a plan of marriage was taken by the family of the youth by sending a formal messengers to the family of the girl. If the plan has been accepted by the family of the girl, then a discussion will take place between the family of the youth and the girl. This is concerning the amount of gift to be given to girl family, which were consist of sum of money, accessories, buffaloes, and pigs. The amount of gift that will be given to the brother of girl's mother, the amount of gift that will be given to the brother of girl's grand mother. The amount of gift to be given to the sisters of girl's mother, the amount of gift to be given to the brother of girl's mother. Besides the family of the girl there are also gift for brothers of girl's father.

During the feast of marriage, usually the buffaloes and pigs were cooked for the members of Kuta or Huta that participated the feast. During the feast that the gift is given according to the tradition. Living tradition after marriage normally with the family of husband or virilocal, while there were some live with wife family or uxorilocal when the family of husband was poor. A large part of Batak society are monogamy, while polygamy is not practiced, although customary low does not prohibit this practice. In case a window with her children then married a second husband, she and her children have no right on the wealth of the family. If the husband is dead, the widow must merry the brother her husband or one of husband relative.

If she doesn't want to, she ask divorce, and only the son can decide the divorce, or the grandchild. Procedure of normal divorce is that, the husband present his problem to the head of the customs who will call an elders to call the family of both sides. In this meeting will be decided who has been wrong. If the wife has been wrong she has to return double of the amount of gift received during marriage ceremony. If the husband is wrong, all his lost as a result of giving gifts and other will not be returned. The clan of Batak people. Batak people introduces clan before western tradition influenced them which is shown by their naming tradition.

• Batak Karo
1. Karo-Karo
• Sitepu
• Barus
• etc
2. Ginting
• Suka
• Manik
• Munte
• etc
3. Sembiring
• Pandia
• Tekang
• Depari
• Meliala
• etc
4. Perangin-angin
• Bangun
• Sebayang
• Singarimbun
• etc
5. Tarigan
• Purba
• Silangit
• Tambak
• Tambun
• Sibero
• etc
• Batak Toba
1. Lontung
• Situmorang
• Sinaga
• Pandiangan
• Nainggolan
• Simatupang
• Aritonang
• Siregar
• etc
2. Parna
• Sigalingging
• Saragih
• etc
3. etc
• Batak Simalungun
1. Purba
2. Saragih
3. Damanik
4. etc
• Batak Pak-Pak

Batak society also introduces social layers, which is not noticeable as Bali. Their social layers based on : age, title, original resident of an area, marriage status. The older the person more privilege the have in society. There are some profession considered more respectable then others, and those who built the Kuta considered have more privilege compared to those coming later. Although the people of Batak have been following Christianity and Islam, the original ideas on belief which is written on a wood skin is still alive. This concept is called "Tarombo", Tarombo explain about the creation of man kind, genealogical lineages, and the concept of universe creation, and the spirit who control nature's phenomena.

Concept about psyche are two types, one is the spirit got from the women of the mother called "Tondi" which make human being alive, and spirit got at the same time as Tondi, but it makes human being respected by others called "Sahala". Sahala can decreasing or increasing which shows by the full and increase of human grace. If Tondi left the body temporary will cause sickness, and leaving forever means death. When human being is dead his/her Tondi become "Begu". The Bagu can act as human being, only it acts in the night. Ancient Batak knew many kind of Begu or holy spirit from dead person and also Begus that reside the mountain, dense forest big trees and others

Sikulikap Waterfall

This 30 m high waterfall is 11 Km from the monument in Berastagi on the road to Medan. Black Gibbons, Macaques, Squirrels, Hornbills, Pythons, Butterflies and lots of herbal plants and birds can be seen here. Take the stairs down from the road just at the Karo-Deli Serdang border. There are many small stalls along the main road here selling boild and grilled corn. We can take any bus or minibus to the destination either from Medan or Berastagi.

Sauna -Oukup

Oukup is Karo traditional steam bath. The mixture of the spices used includes skin of oranges traditionally one will cover him self with blanket or the like and put the hot water with the boiled spices, leaves and oranges skin under his seat usually a chair. Nowadays the process of doing this already modernized and one who wants to have steam bath will sit in a small room and the steam is sent to the room through a pipe.
This modernized steam bath has become popular in recent years, especially in Medan where hundreds of steam bath places have been opened. This kind of steam bath is good for curing flue, headache and insomnia.

Mount Pusuk Buhit

According to Toba Batak mythology, the Age of Si Boru Deak Parujar (the
creatrix of the earth) was followed by the Age of Si Raja Batak (the
first man); the mythic era of the gods was replaced by the historical
era of mankind.

The sacred mountain of the Batak people,
Mount Pusuk Buhit, symbolically forms both a boundary and a connection
between the seven generations of deities that descended from Si Boru
Deak Parujar and the mortal human descendants of the first man, Si Raja
Batak, who founded the first Batak settlement of Sianjurmulamula at the
foot of this sacred mountain.

Legend tells us that when Mulajadi Na Bolon descended to Pusuk Buhit
for the final time, he brought two sacred books (pustaha) which he
bestowed upon Si Raja Batak. The first book was called the Pustaha
Agong (The Great Book) which was a tome offering spiritual and
metaphysical guidance as well as instructions into the sciences of
medicine and sacred magic. The second book dealt with matters relating
to good governance and politically related issues. The first book was
bequeathed to the eldest son of Si Raja Batak, Guru Tateabulan, and his
descendants. The second book was bestowed upon the second son of Si
Raja Batak, Si Raja Isumbaon, and his descendants. These two descent
groups formed an essential moiety in Batak society that can still be
traced to this day through traditional geneology (tarambo). These two
pustaha (sacred books) are considered to be the source for the
traditional religious concepts and customary law (adat) of the Batak
peoples. This customary law was the basis for the formation of the
first Batak village, Sianjurmulamula, which was founded at the foot of
Mount Pusuk Buhit.

There are many sites in the vicinity of Pusuk Buhit that are intimately
associated with the myths and early history of the Toba Batak people.
Places such as Batu Hobon, Batu Pargasipan, Sianjurmulamula, Aek
Sipaulak Hosa, Mual Siboru Pareme, Aek Sipitu Dai, and Hariara Lontung
are all considered sacred places and are of great cultural and
historical value. Although these places are considered to be sacred,
and each have fascinating mythical stories relating to them, they can
be visited by the adventurous tourist.

Bukit Tinggi - Indonesian for high hill

Bukit Tinggi (Indonesian for high hill) is one of the larger cities in West Sumatra, with a population of over 91,000 people and an area of 25.24 km². It is situated in the Minangkabau highlands, 90 km by road from the West Sumatran capital city of Padang. Bukit Tinggi is located at 0°18′20″S, 100°22′9″E, near the volcanoes Mount Singgalang (inactive) and Mount Marapi(still active). At 930 m above sea level, the city has a cool climate with temperatures ranging between 16.1°-24.9°C.
Bukit Tinggi is a city popular with tourists due to the climate and central location. Attractions within the city include:


Sianok Canyon
• Ngarai Sianok (Sianok Canyon)
• Lobang Jepang (Japanese Caves) - a network of underground bunkers & tunnels built by the Japanese during World War II
• Jam Gadang - a large clock tower built by the Dutch in 1926.
• Pasar Atas and Pasar Bawah markets
• Taman Bundo Kanduang park. The park includes a replica Rumah Gadang (literally: big house, with the distinctive Minangkabau roof architecture), which is used as a museum of Minangkabau culture, and a zoo. The Dutch hilltop outpost Fort de Kock is connected to the zoo by the Limpapeh pedestrian overpass.
Notable nearby destinations include Lake Maninjau and the Harau Valley.

Parapat in lake toba

When you visit Sumatera, don't foget to visit Parapat, the city around Toba Lake. Parapat has developed for and with tourism. It has a huge selection of hotels and restaurants but, unfortunately, the last five years have been very quiet and many establishmnet have closed down, either temporary or for good. Most tourist are local or from neighboring countries. Westerners normally just pass through on their way to Pulau Samosir in Lake Toba. The town offers scenic surroundings, good eating, and souvenir shopping. As it is only a 3-4 hours ride from Medan the weekends are rather lively. Especially the Saturdays where there is market day in Parapat and from the surrounding countryside. They bring in coffee, tea, ginger, clove and cinnamon. There is also a minor market day on Thursday. The town has three major parts. One area is along the highway with the bus terminal and where many restaurants are open 24 hours. The main part is on the western. Here are most hotels, the market, and the passenger boats for Tuktuk. The third part is to the south and is called Ajibata. it is administratively a part of the regency Toba Samosir. Here are the car ferry and passenger boats for Tomok. There is also a market here, but many roads have recently changed names and there is confussion in addresses. There are many souvenir shops along the road down to the market. "Antiques", hand woven blankets (ulos), carvings, T-shirts, ceramics, cheap clothes, souvenirs are plentiful. It can be cheaper to shop on Samosir, though.

There are some beaches in Parapat. Swimming, however, is much better off Samosir. The Ajibata beach beyond the car ferry harbous has been improved, but is still not very nice. The public beach on the Parapat peninsula is nice, but very crowded with food stalls, paddle boats, etc. The varied landscape of Parapat creates many nice views. One great view is from the camping ground on Dolok Bangun northof town. Also the hill Dolok Pangulu, in the middle of the town on the Peninsula, has nice views.
Out on the point of the Peninsula is a beautiful and well-kept old Dutch-built villa. The Dutch kept the Indonesian President to be, Ir. Soekarno, here under house arrest for two months in 1948. It is now a guesthouse for government people. The view over the lake is also nice from here.

Monkey Forest
Approximately 3-4 km outside Parapat along the road towards Medan is protected forest with many monkeys, mainly short tailed macaques. It be came a popular hangout of monkeys when a local person started to feed them. He used to call teh monkey with a horn. After a while it became a popular attraction and the local government took over. Then came the economic crisis and the tourist disappeared.. The first person was asked to take over again. Today not many people visit the monkeys and they have become rather wild. They live in the area and are often visible. The location is in a sharp bend where there are both a new and an old bridge.

Batu Gantung
Once upon a time there was a king with a very beautiful. Many rich princes came to propose to her. The family of the princes chose the prince, whom the princess preferred, and invited his family to negotiate about dowry and wedding arrangements. However, the King secretly preferred another man to marry his daughter, his aunt's son, the Pariban. As the Pariban was a relative he often visited the palace and gradually he fell in love with the princess. His family was very happy to hear that. The Pariban discussed the matter with all his relatives, including the King and finally the King changed his mind and chose the Pariban for his daughter. The princess was utterly shocked, but the King did not want to change his mind again. Everyone showed up the wedding party, except the princess. They had to search for her and eventually she was found, The princess together with her dog and her cat turned into stones. They can today be seen as reliefs on a mountainside near Lake Toba below the monkeys forest. It can only be seen from the Lake.

Girsang I Waterfall
This waterfall is approximately 10 metres high and maybe 3-4 metres wide. It falls into a natural pool where it is nice to take a bath. Above the fall there is a forest and below it are rice paddies. It is located 12 km from Parapat towards Balige.

Lake Toba Festival
THe regency government arranges teh yearly Lake Toba Festival for one week in June or July. There are cultural performances and traditional sports, for example Solu Bolon racing (traditional big canoes).

Tanah Karo and Berastagi

Description : A small hill nice town, the distance is 70km from Medan, with cool weather and two volcanoes to climb

Comments :  The town is not the attraction. The volcanoes are. 

Orientation ?  Easy ! Everything along Jalan Veteran, the main broad street !

What to do ? Get info about the weather and climbing dangers  / Trek up toward a view and volcano smokes / Trek down toward hot springs and plouf ! Relax ! / Admire a waterfall / Play golf / Visit traditional Karo villages full of traditional houses / Enjoy sunset and a volcanoes view from an hill / Wander around markets / Travel around town on horse-drawn sado. 

What you may not like ? The town, not particularly pretty / Not having much to do beside volcano expeditions / Having your stuff stolen at your hotel (it happens so avoid leaving valuables) / The low temperature at night / Slipping from the volcano without a parachute (a few people killed over the years) /  The add. fee for HW in most GH / 

How long ? One day for the climb. One day for the villages. One day extra ?

Where to stay ?  From North to South 

• ® Wisma Ikut, 200m up the fruit market street, on the west of the Memorial  / Basic Sgl 7500, Basic Dbl 10-12000 (the two latest share a veranda facing the garden) /  Common HW shower add. 2000 / Go there for the isolation, quietness, big garden and friendly family atmosphere. Update (June 02) : reported closed !
• ® Elchaddai Hotel & Restaurant (0628) 91023, fax (0628) 91513, No 65/66 Jl Veteran, / Dbl 7500 (1) or 10000 (2) / Good restaurant / Go there for the best quality-price ratio in town, the correct rooms and the free hot water in the clean common shower / What you may not like : it is by the road
• Ginsata Hotel : opp. the memorial / Dbl w. shower 17500 (1) or 20000 (2) / Free common shower w. HW on the ground floor / Restaurant
• ® Ginsata Wisma (GH), Jl Veteran, on the east of the memorial, a bit away from the road, behind the above / Dbl 5-7500 (1) or 10000 (2), Dbl w. shower 10000 (1) or 15000 (2) / Go there for the little garden and relative quietness / What you may not like : no HW, even so you can go to the Hotel free of charge
• Losmen Sibayak GH (0628) 91095, fax (0628) 91122, No119 Jl Veteran, north of bank PDSU, middle of town / Sgl 8000, Sgl w. shower 10000, Dbl on the roof w. terrace 10000, Dbl w. shower 15000 / HW add. 2000 / Restaurant / The correct rooms are not facing the street  / Go there to get info from the travel agency
• ® Wisma Sibayak (0628) 91683, 91104, No1 Jl Udara, corner w. Jl Veteran, in the South of town / Dorm 5000 (6-8),  basic Dbl 10000, better w. shower 20000 (1) or 25000 (2) / Common HW shower add. 2000 / Restaurant / Go there for the cheapest bed, the friendly atmosphere, to meet other travelers, to get info from the good geust books and notice boards / What you may not like : it is busy !

Two superior adresses :

• Sibayak Multinational (0628) 91031, No93 Jl Pendidikan, need to take green minibus (kama) for Rp500 as it is on the road to Gunung Sibayak [combien de temps pour y aller ?] / Nice rooms w. HW shower 25-35000 / Restaurant / Quiet, isolated and big garden  
• G.M. Pangabehan,  800 m up the fruit market street, west of Memorial / Luxury rooms w. HW shower, TV, AC (you may not need this one !) & breakfast Rp85000. 

Where to eat ?  Easy again : all along Jl Veteran !

Internet ?  Warnet

Change Money ? There is one ATM at BNI Bank on Jl Veteran, 100m south of the Memorial.  Another ATM at Kabanjahe, 11km South (minibus Rp500). Plenty of money changers in town as well. Bank PDSU south of Losmen Sibayak GH. 

Info ? Most GH can tell you what is going on, with a special mention for the board and books of Wisma Sibayak. 

Markets ? Two markets daily : the nice Fruits & Craftmanship market (west of the Memorial, South of the Petrol Station) and the bigger but somehow less colorful market next to the bus station in the South. Also one market on Monday at Kabanjahe (11km South)

A Volcano Expedition ?

At 2094m, active Gunung Sibayak is where most trekkers are heading to. You need to be well prepared and equipped, the weather has to be good but a guide is not necessary. However, it is not recommended to go alone ! From Berastagi, it takes around 3h to reach the summit and 2h to go down toward the hot springs of Semangat Gunung village (Rp1500, open 8am to 11pm).  Finding this way down is a bit tricky : look for steps on the other side of the ridge. From the springs, take a bus back for Rp1500. 

It is also possible to attempt this trek from Sikulikap waterfalls (minibus for Rp1000). This way would take around 7 hours via the hot springs. 

At 2450m, Gunung Sinabung is a more serious business : allow about 10 hours and take a guide ! Take a Takasima Bemo (blue) between the cinema and the market and allow one hour & Rp2000. Ask to get off at lake (Danau) Kawar 

Both volcanoes can be admired from Gundaling Hill, also a good spot for sunset if the weather is fine. Follow the fruits market street and take the road toward Merdeka Village... Better ask your GH as it is a bit tricky to explain. Allow half an hour.  

Traditional Karo Villages ?

Several villages around Berastagi. Lingga is the most interesting near town (7km South-West) but also the most visited : it cost Rp300 to enter it and Rp1000 to exit it (!) to visit the surroundings and the chief houses. You need first to go to Kabanjahe,  (Rp500). Ask to stop at Lingga station or Bamboo Runcing Monument, then take a bemo (minibus, Rp500). 

From Kabanjahe, the villages of Dokan (15km) and Cingkes (37km, green kama bemo, Rp2000, 1h) would be more authentic. 

Coming from Medan, one km before Berastagi, traditional Karo houses can also be spotted in the small villages of Peceran and Lau Aagumba. Nothing really exciting.

Batak Information

Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups found in the highlands of North Sumatra Indonesia. Their heartland lies to the west of Medan centred on Lake Toba. In fact the "Batak" include several groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and customs (adat). While the term is used to include the Toba, Karo, Pak Pak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing groups, some of these peoples prefer not to be known as Batak

Batak societies are patriarchal organized along clans known as Marga. The Toba Batak believe that they originate from one ancestor "Si Raja Batak", with all Margas, descended from him. A family tree that defines the father-son relationship among Batak people is called tarombo. Toba Batak are known traditionally for their weaving, wood carving and especially ornate stone tombs. Their burial and marriage traditions are very rich and complex. The burial tradition includes a ceremony in which the bones of one's ancestors are reinterred several years after death. This secondary burial is known among the Toba Batak as (mangongkal holi).

Before they became subjects of the colonial Dutch East Indies government, the Batak had a reputation for being fierce warriors. Today the Batak are mostly Christian with a Muslim minority. Presently the largest Christian congregation in Indonesia is the HKBP (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan) Christian church. The dominant Christian theology was brought by Lutheran German missionaries in the 19th century, including the well-known missionary Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen. Christianity was introduced to the Karo by Dutch Calvinist missionaries and their largest church is the GBKP (Gereja Batak Karo Protestan). Mandailing Batak were converted to Islam in the early 19th century.

Batak speak a variety of closely related languages, all members of the Austronesian language family. There are two major branches, a northern branch comprising the Pakpak and Karo languages that are similar to each other but distinctly different from the languages of the southern branch comprising three mutually intelligible dialects: Toba, Angkola and Mandailing. Simalungun Batak is an early offspring of the southern branch. Some Simalungun dialects can be understood by speakers of Karo Batak whereas other dialects of Simalungun can be understood by speakers of Toba. This is due to the existence of a linguistic continuum that often blurres the lines between the six Batak dialects. The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia. ...