Bengkulu Malay

Bengkulu Malay, or simply Bengkulu, is a Malayic language spoken primarily in the province of Bengkulu, Indonesia, including Bengkulu City and surrounding areas, as well as parts of Pesisir Barat Regency in the province of Lampung. It is the native language of the Bengkulu Malays and is more closely related to other Central Sumatra Malay varieties, such as Col, Jambi Malay, Palembang Malay, and Minangkabau, than to the Rejang language, which is also spoken in the province.

The Bengkulu Malay is threatened with extinction. In 2021, only about 50% of the people of Bengkulu City still actively speaks the language, namely the residents who live in the coastal area which is called Kampung Lamo. Overall, Bengkulu Malay received a score of 44%, so the status of its language vitality is endangered because it is in the range of 41–60%.