The Iban is a part belong to the Dayak race in
Malaysia and live in the state of Sarawak located at the eastcoast of the
Borneo Island. They also known as the Sea Dayaks during the reign of the
Brooke’s and the British Colonial before as they are the most dangerous tribe
in Borneo and so daring in their war battle just to have the head of their
enemies as their war trophies.The word Dayak is a Land Dayak or Bidayuh word,
and “before proceeding to elucidate how the word Dayak came to be
misrepresented and it must first of all deal with the favourite meaning of it
that it is the corrupted form of the Malay word “Darat” which means inland or
up-country.
This is an impossibility.” The generic term Dayak (or properly called Daya by
themselves) in many dialects simply means inland although among many of the
branch tribes the term is not known as being referable to themselves. Some of
the interior populations even as far off as Brunei are called “Ka-daya-n”.
Then again the Matu or Melanau name for inland
is “Kedaya.” The Descriptive Dictionary of the Indian Islands says that “Dayak
or more correctly Dayak is a word used by the Malays as a generic term for all
the wild races of Sumatra and Celebes, but more especially of Borneo where they
are most numerous. It seems to be equivalent with them to the European word
savage. And some author informs us that “the word Dayak is only applied to the
race in Borneo who are living in much barbarism.” But almost in the same breath
they adds “the Sea Dayaks are not at all savage race as may be proved later on.
The Iban’s is belong to the Malayan race as the
evident from the root-forms of their language which are synonymous with the
root-forms of the Malayan language. Both languages admit prefixes. If there is
at the Iban grammar is similarity will be at once indentified with the Malay
grammar. More likely Sumatra where Melayu originated as a small kingdom.
Neither the Iban’s nor the Malays of Sarawak may be called the aborigines of
this part of the island of Borneo.
Three or four centuries ago they were driven to
migrate into the island. The Iban’s appear to have migrated before the Malays.
We can conjecture nothing satisfactorily as to the causes of their migration
other than the compulsory conversion of Mohammed’s successors, or famine, or
war. It is clear the Iban’s were once upon a time in
the Malaysian Peninsula.This is proved from the arts of spinning,
weaving and colouring cloths, which they have possessed for many generations
back independently of their neighbours the Malays of Sarawak. But the
aborigines roughly speaking of this part of the island are quite ignorant even
of the art of spinning. The Malays, it may be presumed, were once what the
Dayak are now, in matters of civilization perhaps dates from the time of their
conversion to Mohammedanism.
The proof of this is that they have not yet
been thoroughly purged of their once heathenish rites, in the belief in witches
and so forth. It may be presumed that the word Dayak was also
known to the Sea Dayaks before they migrated into this island. It is a word of
the Land Dayak whom we may roughly call one of the aboriginal races of Borneo.
But the word, according to the pronunciation of both the Land and Sea Dayaks,
has been corrupted in the spelling by the introduction of the final K, which is
not at all present in the native pronunciation of the word.
The word Dayak or properly speaking “Daya”
answers to the Malay word “Orang”, which means a man, or the people. If “Darat”
could be at all corrupted it would not receive that form of corruption, but its
corrupted form would be “Dara” or “Dar”, for both the Sea Dayaks and the Malays
pronounce their “r”. Futhermore, when we come to explain the phrase Dayk Undup,
Dayak Skrang, etc, by which each tribe of the Sea Dyaks call itself, the word
“Darat” will not only appear ungrammatical, but also absurd.
The misrepresentation of the word Dayak, it may
be presumed, had accidentally cropped up, and was retained in force through the
mere carelessness and ignorance of the Dayaks to have allowed themselves to be
thus called; the Malays call themselves “Laut”. But with reference to the
Malays their nationality is known and therefore no question is necessarily
raised to investigate their proper nationality. With regard to the Sea Dayaks
there is no light as yet thrown upon the matter which will lead us to any
satifactory conclusion with reference to their nationality.
The
word “Daya” which is a word of the Land Dayaks meaning a man, or the people,
gives us no assistance whatever towards the investigation of their nationality.
But from studying their peculiarity and habit it gives one just a chance to
surmise, without the aid of their tradition, that they once had a name to
express their nationality; but for what cause or reason their fore-fathers had
allowed it to die out in such a mysterious manner is better answered by
ourselves. The presumption manner that may be taken is this, that the
peculiarity of the Sea Dayaks up to the present day is to call themselves by
the place or river they remove to.
If the Dayaks account of their migration could be even relied upon, it
still gives us no help to trace it beyond the island of Borneo. They
unanimously affirm that their fore-fathers had removed here (i.e. the lower
part and mouth of the Batang Lupar river) from the very source of the Batang
Lupar or the main river. The Sea Dayak after their migration into this part of
the island of Borneo and after having touched at certain unknown localities, must
have separated themselves either on account offamily discord or from choice.
Before this had taken place they all must have divided themselves into tribes
and this resulted in the different forms of dialects now spoken in the Sea
Dayaks tribes
The
divisons of the Sea Dayaks tribes are these; Batang Rejang, Katibas, Kanowit,
Krian, Saribas, Sebuyau, Balau, Batang Ai, Undups, Skrang, Lemanak, Kumpang,
Engkari, Kubau, Engkerebang, etc. If these tribes are to be subdivided again
they will number five or ten times as many. The Sea Dayak, although divided
into various tribes, yet speak only one language, and this one language is the
Malayan language. It is significant fact that the Malayan language is the
mother language of various tribes of people. It is also a fountain of which the
richness extends far and wide. It is not to be wondered at if hundreds of Malay
words are found in the Sea Dayak language. It is not assuming a privilege for
argument but merely asserting a self-evident fact. If the Sea Dayak language is
carefully compared we shall find many Sanskrit words used and admitted as
genuine Dayak words.Of
various tribes of Sea Dayaks, each tribe adopts its own idioms, pronunciation,
and adds foreign words to its language to enrich it. To one who is not
thoroughly conversant with the Malay and the Sea Dayak languages it would be
difficult to detect their identity. The peculiarity of tones and pronunciations
which each tribe has habituated itself to, to suit its own taste would at first
sight to a stranger appear unintelligible; and it would appear impossible to
distinguish the language of one tribe from another.The
Sea Dayak language is like some other languages growing rich in its vocabulary;
aas the people come in contact with foreigners they adopt their words. The
Malayan language has adopted many Sanskrit words which were introduced perhaps
under the Majapahit Kingdom. The Malayan language also has adopted many Arabic
words which came about dating from their conversation to Mohammed’s faith. But
the adoption of the Sanskrit words into the Malay is prior to the Arabic. This
appears more convincing in affirming the migration of the Sea Dayaks into the
island of Borneo, and their being once upon a time in the Malayan Peninsula,
because the Sanskrit words are found in their language.
The
Malays before their conversion to Mohammedanism had no letters of their own,
and what they have now are made up out of the Arabic alphabet. To suit the tone
of their language they have to name their letters accordingly. With reference
to the Sea Dayaks since the Gospel of Christ has been preached to them, the
Bishop and his Missionaries have been able to form letters for them out of the
Roman alphabet. To suit the tone of their language they have also to pronounce
their letters accordingly. It is difficult to form one’s opinion or judgement
between the two languages (the Malay and the Sea Dayak) as to which is the
richer and more expressive. Both languages claim classical forms. When the
Malay language is spoken grammatically it is not only expressive but
exceedingly musical. It is also with the Sea Dayak language when it is spoken
grammatically.
The
above named tribes of the Sea Dayaks have descended from one family, which they
are able to prove from their genealogy. Some of the people are extraordinarily
gifted with good memories. Although we allow a limited amount of credit to
traditions, yet we must admit that they have their foundations upon which their
stories are built. The Dayaks have their own rules of logic in their own courts
of law, which are more approximate to axioms than proverbs. To listen to their
advocates in defending or pleading cases in their own courts is certainly worth
while, if one is conversant with their classical language. They are a political
race, more so than the Malays or Chinese. With them all offences are finable.
Apologies are not accepted in their society.
credit to : http://sarawakdayakheritageandvariousstories.blogspot.com/2011/02/iban-or-sea-dayaks.html
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