The language shift phenomenon in the Bajau Sama Kota Belud in Sabah is definite. The researchers surveyed the phenomenon in Kampung Taun Gusi 1, Kota Belud, Sabah. Based on the age cross-sectional method, 300 participants of 20-29 years (G20s), 30-39 years (G30s), 40-49 years (G40s), and 50-59 years (G50s) respectively were selected by stratified sampling. The objective of this study is to formulate the dimensionality of language shift. The researchers found that speakers shifted from using the mother tongue to the Malay language after entering school. The Bajau Sama language spoken as the mother tongue has declined from one generation to another. For a better understanding of the Bajau Sama lexical, G20s meet Fishman’s (1991) implication scale negatively. The group achievement of nouns has decreased to 26.9%, verbs (33.9%), and adjectives (32%). Meanwhile, the attitude overtness towards the Bajau Sama language is most evident among G50s with a statistical min of 83.00, declining by 48.20 in G30s and 41.80 in G40s, which eventually and significantly decreased by 23.20 in G20s. In the family domain, G20s prefer using the Malay language over Bajau Sama. In the neighbourhood domain, G20s and G30s use the Malay language frequently. All the groups choose to speak the Malay language in the shop outlet domain. This study’s implications demonstrate G20s and G30s have shifted to use the Malay language in family and neighbourhood domains. This shifting justifies the low vocabulary knowledge in Bajau Sama compared to G40s and G50s. Overall, the language shift from the mother tongue to the Malay language in the Bajau Sama Kota Belud community occurred due to bilingualism, the level of status, and unequal power between the two languages, the impact of political, economic, and social situations on one language group. In conclusion, we suggested that the Bajau Sama standard language curriculum be introduced in primary schools to sustain its vitality as a revitalization program.

Etnik Bajau Sama merupakan etnik kedua terbesar di negeri Sabah. Kawasan petempatan utama etnik Bajau Sama di Sabah terletak di Kota Belud di Pantai Barat. Sebagai masyarakat yang dwibahasa, pilihan penggunaan bahasa masyarakat yang beragama Islam ini adalah berbeza-beza mengikut generasi dan domain yang berkemungkinan tidak berpihak kepada bahasa ibunda. Teori Analisis Domain (Fishman) diterapkan bagi mengkaji pilihan bahasa dalam domain khusus oleh peserta kajian dari Kampung Taun Gusi, Kota Belud, Sabah. Kaedah tinjauan dengan soal selidik digunakan untuk mendapatkan maklumat daripada generasi pertama (GI), kedua (GII) dan ketiga (GIII). Nilai min bagi setiap kumpulan dlam domain kekeluargaan menunjukkan bahawa GI dan GII Lebih banyak menggunakan bahasa Bajau Sama manakala GIII lebih cenderung kepada bahasa Melayu. Dalam domain kejiranan, GI memilih bahasa Bajau Sama namun GII dan GIII masing-masing memilih BM. Walau bagaimanapun, dalam domain pendidikan, keagamaan, perkhidmatan dan jual beli, semua generasi memilih bahasa Melayu. Penemuan yang paling penting ialah generasi muda (GIII) kini sudah beralih kepada bahasa Melayu dalam domain kekeluargaan dan domain awam. Generasi ini bertindak sebagai pemangkin peralihan bahasa yang mendatangkan ancaman kepada daya hidup bahasa Bajau Sama, khususnya dalam domain tidak formal seperti kekeluargaan dan kejiranan. Dapatan ini menunjukkan adanya kemerosotan transmisi bahasa ibunda antara generasi dalam kalangan masyarakat etnik Bajau Sama.

This study investigated language shift among middle-age, adult, and youth age groups of the Bajau Sama Kota Belud indigenous people. The cross-sectional study involved 243 participants, selected using stratified sampling. The questionnaire was based on language transmission assessment by Brenzinger et al. (2003). Results showed that language shift across different skill areas — speaking, understanding, reading, and writing — showed that the Malay language in everyday life is more dominant than their mother tongue among adults and youths. The language skills and the language daily use scores of Bajau Sama adults and youths are not significantly correlated. The two groups manifest the four variables of language shift in Bajau Sama. This study shows that the language shift phenomenon in Bajau Sama is accelerated in the younger generation, and they serve as the living agent of language shift. Following this, there is an urgency to develop a Bajau Sama language corpus and to implement revitalisation initiatives in Kota Belud, Sabah.