he Bugis are the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, the southwestern province of Sulawesi, Indonesia's third largest island. Although many Bugis live in the
large port cities of Makassar and Parepare, the majority are farmers who grow wet
rice on the lowland plains to the north and
west of the town of Maros. The
name Bugis is an exonym which represents an older form of the
name; (To) Ugi is the endonym.
The Bugis speak a distinct regional language in addition to Indonesian, called Basa Ugi, Bugis or Buginese. In
reality, there are a several dialects, some of which are sufficiently different from others to be considered separate languages. Bugis belongs to the South Sulawesi language group; other members include Makasar, Toraja, Mandar and Enrekang, each being a series of dialects.2
In historical European literature, the Bugis have a reputation for being fierce, war-like, and industrious.
Honor, status, and
rank are of great importance to the Bugis. They are a self-sufficient
people who have a positive self-image and are very confident of their own abilities. As the most numerous group in the region (more than 5 million), they have had considerable influence on their neighbors.
A Minangkabau
person: Oi!!! Where did you come from???
A Bugis person: I am from
South Sulawesi. Why?
A Minangkabau person: Are you a
bu...
A Bugis person: Yes I am a Bugis.
A Minangkabau person: I'm so sorry sir... Please forgive me...
