Alternate Names: Baubau
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 61% with Cia-Cia ,; 60% with Masiri dialect of Cia-Cia and Lantoi dialect of Kaimbulawa ,.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 65,000 in Indonesia (2004 D. Andersen). Population does not include those in other provinces.
Language Use: Former court language of Baubau Sultanate, and surrounding communities; formerly used by nobility in the region. Wolio is declining in the urban center, but being maintained at the rural periphery. Children in villages use Wolio, but city children primarily use Indonesian. Also use Indonesian [ind]. Used as L2 by Busoa [bup], Cia-Cia [cia], Liabuku [lix], Pancana [pnp], Tukang Besi South [bhq].
Language Development: Dictionary.
Writing System: Arabic
Nation of Origin: Indonesia
Other Comments: ‘Buton’ usually used generically inside Southeast Sulawesi to refer to Wolio; outside Southeast Sulawesi it refers to people from Southeast Sulawesi, or is sometimes confused with Bajau people as sailors. Muslim.