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Sula (Sanana) is a Malayo-Polynesian language of the Central Maluku branch. It is related to the Buru language. Sula is spoken mainly on the Sulabesi, with the Sanana as its center.

It is definitely endangered, currently under pressure from the local variety of Malay, known as Sula Malay.

Sula has borrowed many lexical items from Ambonese Malay, as well as Ternate, a more dominant language of North Maluku. Dutch loans have entered the language too, perhaps through Malay and Ternate. Standard Indonesian has also been influential.

Mangole is sometimes listed as a distinct language.

Phonology

Consonants

Voiced consonant sounds /b d ɡ/ may also be heard as devoiced in word-final position.

Vowels

/e/ can also be heard as in lax form.

References

1. Sula at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. ^ Bloyd, Tobias S. (2020). Sula: Its language, land, and people. University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.

Further reading

• Bloyd, Tobias (2020). Sula: Its Language, Land, and People (PhD thesis). University of Hawai'i at Manoa. hdl:10125/69017.

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