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...
