Mandailing or Batak ?

WHY WE ARE THE MANDAILING PEOPLE, 

NOT BATAK ?

The issue of whether the person actually Mandailing was Batak or not, actually has become a serious debate within the period that is long enough anyway, both among educated people as well as ordinary people. Even quite crowded youth discussed in cyberspace. The controversy is marked with the names of many sites on the internet such as: 'Suku Batak', 'Bangso Batak', 'Orang Batak', 'Batak Simelungun', 'Batak Pakpak', 'Batak Karo', 'Batak Mandailing', 'Suku Mandailing', 'Bangso Mandailing', 'Batak Karo', 'Karo Bukan Batak (KBB)', and many more are similar.

The word 'orang' (Indonesian), which in English is 'person', while in Mandailing language is 'Alak', means: (1) 'man' (in a special sense), (2) 'man' (replace themselves third course ): do not believe in the mouths of people quickly, (3) 'itself' (human himself): I did not meet with the person, (4) 'word classifier' for humans: five fishermen; (5) 'child fruit' (subordinate): they were the one Mr. Head, (6) the 'people' (of a country), citizens: the Indonesian, Malaysian , Vietnamese , etc.; (7) 'people who come from or live in an area (village, town, state, etc.): the grandfather from Gunung Tua - Muara Soro, he was Kotanopan; her husband Europeans; (8) 'tribes'; Mandailing people, the Sundanese, Betawi people; (9) 'other man', not themselves, not the (class, relatives) own: let children themselves, other people my children please; land - another country (not our country), (10) and so on. 

In addition, there are also 'special terms' which also contain word 'person', such as: 'ordinary people' - mostly men; ordinary people (not experts); layman; foreigners (i) 'others'; people from other countries, (ii) persons who are not known, the boss the person or group of persons of high social status that society etc.; person crew: a term for people who came from Minangkabau; layman (i) the 'ordinary people'; (ii) persons who are not experts in the field of science; crowd: general; public; public, community (at large); Westerners - people who live in the west hemisphere, especially Europe and America; whites; person back - 'smack' ; wife; great people - people of high rank; officials; magnifying; grown man; ordinary people - the common people, not the rank or not the nobility; exiles - those sentenced to waste; stranger (i) the foreign person; nomads; (ii) those who trade; merchant; insiders - people who are on in one environment (work, class, and so on); payday people - those who work be rewarded; servant (footmen, maid, d and so on); 'orang gedean' - 'smack' person or group of persons domiciled or high social status in society; person halimunan (i) people can disappear Karrena yagg have occult; (iii) stealth; refined person (i) the spirit; jin, (ii) those swept away people who wander everywhere; trick people - other people, not families; those downstream - the (population) living in downstream river (estuary) ; the upstream people (residents) who live in the upper reaches of the river (in the interior), the forest (i) persons who live in the forest, (ii) an orangutan; villagers - people or people living in the village (not in town); the rich (i) persons who many possessions; wealthy; (ii) persons who held the rank of (resident) high, (iii) the call to the wife of the rank or the venerable; keblangsak people - orphan; bum; - the city or residents who live in the city; - white Westerners (especially Europeans and Americans); - outsider that does not include the environment (class, work, etc.); - loitering (i) persons who roam; (ii) persons who are not work; - straight honest man; - freedom is not a slave (servant) ransom; person free; - young (i) persons who are young, (ii) youth, (iii) artisan salung (dance, and so on); - 'ki' waves of people who are very agitated behavior ( such as people who almost died ), the food (i) persons who are still living in the forest; those of indigenous peoples, (ii) the designation for the Malay ethnic group in the country who still live in the forest; coastal people - people who live in coastal areas; smart people - 'ki' shaman ; psychic: he was forced to bring in smart people in the house to ward off things that are not desirable; crowd - general; public; masses; the soap - the downy mildew; those albino; guy next door - neighbors; those related by marriage - the one who marries a member of the clan if it is viewed; setangga people - neighbors; civilians - people who are not members (official) military; person farmer - farmer; cultivators; parent (i) the father and mother; (ii) (the parents) who are considered elderly (scholars, experts, and so on), the people who are respected (respected) in the village; elders; adoptive parents - men and women who became father and mother or somebody based on customary law; foster parents - people who finance (schools, etc.) that is not his own child on humanitarian grounds: the distribution of funds - foster runs smoothly; person hick (i) the villagers who live far away from the hustle of the city, the village, (ii) persons who reside in the upper reaches of the river; 'orang-utan' - hefty ape found only in the forests in Sumatra and Kalimantan, red hairy brownish, no tail, life of fruits, leaves, and buds; introspective; pongo pygmaeus. 

So, quite clear that the meaning of the word 'person' in Indonesia is very diverse at all, that its use in everyday conversation are always adapted to the context.

For some people, 'name' is not so important as in the expression unreadable William Shakespeare (1564-1616): "What's in a name", but for me and also for others that 'name ' is very important. If the 'name' that does not mean anything, as supposed by Shakespeare, may Allah SWT will not teach the names to Adam. In fact, there will probably be many who do not care about the name of the essence. Shakespeare was not mistaken. He made ​​a very clever parable by stating a rose would still smell nice even with a different name. Shakespeare was not arguing the meaning of a name. He invites readers to reflect on the essence of being, authenticity, or the nature of a material, whatever it's called. It could be, Shakespeare might be surprised to live in the present. He may be shaking his head watching the number of spoofed name, a name that personified with something or polished all-out to bercitra in accordance with the will of the owner of the name. let we both ponder if a pack of coffee Mandailing packaging  given patch name "Rat Poison" as a brand, of course it will be rejected Mandailing coffee - yack by prospective purchasers and further may be a lot of protest to the manufacturer.

One example of the problems which carries the name of the problem experienced by the Chinese people in Indonesia in the Suharto era (New Order). They are required to change the name Thionghoa with Indonesian names. Then become a man by the name of Liem be Salim, Yun became Junus, and others. Luckily for badminton athletes caliber fixed Liem Swie King fame with his Chinese name, as well as top entrepreneurs Liem Sioe Liong, although politically and culturally still suffer discrimination.

In my village there is a tradition (custom) specifically to provide for a child's name (called 'manggorar danak') new born. Because of the importance of this ceremony, so in practice - relatives involve the whole village, even less so, the families of relatives who settled in other villages were also invited to come, at a distance, to jointly attend and celebrate. For the naming of a child of the nobility (called 'anak ni na mora-mora') for example is done by cutting the buffalo (called 'longit') and also sounds an indigenous music ensemble 'Gordang Sambilan' , and also enlivened with traditional dance 'Tortor' and indigenous chants 'jeir'. One interesting thing, the youth in my village has a 'nickname' (called 'gorar pio - pioon') between the members of each of those who tend to seem a little strange for example 'Si Gantil', 'Si Babiat', 'Si Jorbing', 'Si Paet', 'Si Tungir', 'Si Leplap', 'Si Ronggot', and so forth. Yet another case when they mate (called ' ipatobang') was given a 'new name' ('gelar', the title) is taken from the name of his forefathers. That happens because of the importance of the meaning of a 'name' for the Mandailing people.

Then, why are there people who refuse when Mandailing called as Batak? Still stick in my memory as a child to grow up in the hometown, is often heard 'warning' of the parents towards their children, when their children were when talking carelessly and too loud, much like the people who were shouting, and so forth, by saying : " ... songon Alak Batak ho uida... ! "

Gandoang. January 30, 2014.

Edi Nasution