 People of Belait in 2023 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Brunei | |
| Languages | |
| Belait, Malay | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tutong |
The Belait people are a Bruneian ethnic group native to Belait District. They traditionally speak the Belait language. They are predominantly Muslim.[1] They are officially one of the seven ethnic groups which make up the Bruneian Malay race.[citation needed]
The Belait people originated from the merger between two ethnic groups, namely the Belait jati (i.e. the 'native' Belait) and the Lemeting or Meting.[2][3] The latter was originally native to Tinjar River, a tributary of the Baram River in Sarawak, Malaysia; they later migrated to the area of, and eventually integrated with, the 'native' Belait.[2][3]
The Belait language, the traditional language of the Belait people, is an Austronesian language within the sub-group Malayo-Polynesian. The language is considered "seriously" endangered; it is claimed that there are "almost no younger speakers".[4]
