Editing Gayo language (section)

{{Short description|Austronesian language spoken in Sumatra, Indonesia}}
{{Infobox language
|name        = Gayo
|nativename  = Basa Gayo
|states      = [[Indonesia]]
|region      = [[Sumatra]]
|ethnicity   = 335,000 [[Gayo people|Gayo]] (2010 census)<ref name=e26/>
|speakers    = {{sigfig|275,000|2}}
|date        = 2010 census
|ref         = e26
|familycolor = Austronesian
|fam2        = [[Malayo-Polynesian languages|Malayo-Polynesian]]
|fam3        = [[Northwest Sumatra–Barrier Islands languages|Northwest Sumatra–Barrier Islands]]
|iso2        = gay
|iso3        = gay
|glotto      = gayo1244
|glottorefname = Gayo
}}

[[File:Languages of Northern Sumatra en.svg|thumb|right|The map of Gayo language in Northern Sumatra.]]
'''Gayo''' (alternatively rendered as Gajo) is an endangered Austronesian language spoken by some 275,000 people in the mountainous region of the Indonesian province [[Aceh]] on the Northern tip of the island of [[Sumatra]], specifically around the [[Central Aceh]], [[Bener Meriah]] and [[Gayo Lues]] [[Regency (Indonesia)|regencies]]. It is classified as belonging to the [[Western Malayo-Polynesian languages|Western Malayo-Polynesian]] branch of the [[Austronesian languages]], but is not closely related to other languages. Ethnologue lists ''Bukit'', ''Dëret'', ''Lues'', ''Lut'', and ''Serbejadi-Lukup'' as dialects.

Gayo is distinct from other languages in Aceh. The art and culture of the [[Gayo people]] is also significantly different compared with other ethnic groups in Aceh.

In 1907, G.A.J. Hazeu wrote a first Gayo–Dutch dictionary for the colonial authorities of the Dutch East Indies.<ref>Gajosch-Nederlandsch Woordenboek, by G.A.J. Hazeu, Landsdrukkerij Batavia 1907. It is available online as a Google scan.</ref>