Boang Language Disappearing from Aceh Singkil's Public Sphere
Boang, the native language of the Aceh Singkil people, is still used in daily conversation but is increasingly absent from public spaces. Linguistic landscape research shows the language isn't extinct yet, though its living space is shrinking. Its traces remain strong in village names, like those containing historical links between the community and rivers and forests, but many young people no longer understand their meaning.
In commercial areas, Indonesian and English dominate signage because they're seen as more modern and tourist-friendly. Still, some businesses like Senina Cafe and Sapo Belen keep using Boang as a cultural identity marker. Meanwhile, in government institutions, Boang is almost nowhere to be found, with only a few examples like slogans at the military district command and community health center.
The lack of Boang in public spaces threatens its existence, since language lives not just through speech but also through the writing we see every day. Revitalization is needed, like putting up bilingual signs, Boang-language slogans in government offices, and teaching the origins of village names in schools.
Preserving Boang doesn’t mean rejecting modernity-it’s about making room for local identity to coexist with national and global languages. As long as the language still shows up in public spaces, the identity of the Aceh Singkil community will keep being passed on to future generations.
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