Wemale
Wemale people
Ethnic group of Seram Island, Indonesia
The Wemale people are an ethnic group of Seram Island, Indonesia. They number over 7,500[1] and live in 39 villages of the central area of the island. Like the Alune people in the west, the Wemale people originate from a common ancestral group called the Patasiwa.[2]
This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2015) |
The Wemale language is of Malayo-Polynesian origin and it is divided into a northern and a southern variety, having dialects known as Horale, Kasieh, Uwenpantai, Honitetu and Kawe.[1][3] Northern Wemale is spoken by about 5,000 people and the Southern Wemale is spoken by about 3,700 people.[4] The Hainuwele legend is an origin myth from the Wemale and Alune folklore.[5] It was recorded by German ethnologist Adolf Ellegard Jensen in a 1937–1938 expedition to the Maluku Islands.[6]