Kedang Ipil, June 9, 2026 — The Regional Language Center in East Kalimantan conducted data collection for the Language and Literary Diversity Map of East Kalimantan Province. The fieldwork took place in Kedang Ipil Village, Kotabangun, Kutai Kartanegara, from June 2 to 4, 2026. The team comprised Nurul Masfufah, Nur Bety, and Abd. Rahman from the language division, alongside Yudianti Herawati and Diyan Kurniawati from the literature division.
The Head of Kedang Ipil Village, Kuspawansyah, warmly welcomed the initiative. He emphasized the importance of documenting the Old Kutai (Kutai Lawas) language and its literature, noting that it is the most widely spoken language in the village. He expressed hope that this data collection would contribute to the successful documentation and preservation of the Kutai Lawas language and its literary heritage.
The data collection was centered at the Kedang Ipil Village Office, where the team interviewed several informants. All informants are native speakers of the Kutai Lawas language and members of the Sumping Layang Traditional Community. The interviewees included Murad, Hairudin, Syafrudin, Kuspawansyah, and Saipul Ferdinandus. Prior to the fieldwork, the team had thoroughly prepared their research instruments for both linguistic and literary assessments.
This activity yielded a comprehensive collection of linguistic data, specifically basic Swadesh vocabulary and fundamental cultural vocabulary. Additionally, it produced literary data in the form of documented oral literature gathered directly from these primary sources. (dk)
Translated by Muhammad Erwin Darma