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Reference.org
Sikka language
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<p>The Sikka language or Sikkanese, also known as Sika, is spoken by around 180,000 people of the <a href="/facts/Sika_(people)/v68yuG1s">Sika</a> <a href="/facts/Ethnic_group/XSp5l24t">ethnic group</a> on <a href="/facts/Flores/tdqJNAN0">Flores</a> island in <a href="/facts/East_Nusa_Tenggara/kuRJhNmW">East Nusa Tenggara</a> province, <a href="/facts/Indonesia/vQnWU3IW">Indonesia</a>. It is a member of the <a href="/facts/Central_Malayo-Polynesian_languages/w9bP46pR">Central Malayo-Polynesian</a> branch of the <a href="/facts/Austronesian_languages/jpygNVzl">Austronesian language family</a>. </p><p>Sikka is notable for being one of the few languages which contain a non-<a href="/facts/Allophone/2gp1p5PN">allophonic</a> <a href="/facts/Labiodental_flap/qHNt741Y">labiodental flap</a>. Like many other languages in eastern Indonesia, it shows evidence of having a <a href="/facts/Papuan_languages/HfyH8uaB">Papuan</a> (non-Austronesian) <a href="/facts/Stratum_(linguistics)/L73fjNSr">substratum</a>, but in the case of Sika, this includes extreme morphological simplification and about 20% lexical replacement in basic vocabulary. It has been hypothesized that the Austronesian languages in that area could be descendants of a creole language, resulting from the intrusion of Austronesian languages into eastern Indonesia. </p><p>Sika has at least three recognized dialects: </p> <ul><li><i>Sikka Natar</i>, which is generally perceived in the region to be the most refined and most prestigious of the Sika speech varieties.</li> <li><i>Sara Krowe</i>, spoken in the central hills of Sika-speaking people.</li> <li><i>Ata Tana 'Ai</i> or <i>Sara Tana 'Ai</i>, used by both outsiders and insiders to refer to the people and language of the region; it is also used as a <a href="/facts/Ritual_language/557K2NXD">ritual language</a>.</li></ul>