ABSTRACT
Although the Nusalaut language in the Central Moluccas (Dutch East Indies) became extinct in the early 20th century, it was unexpectedly revived in the Moluccan community in the Netherlands as a religious cryptolect. After comparing the typologies of the original language and its modern counterpart, a closer look is taken at the lexicon and its concomitant problems for Bible translations. The discussion continues with an analysis of the sociolinguistic conditions that enabled the renaissance of the Nusalaut language and of its present role in the Moluccan community. The chapter ends with the open question of whether or not the community will accept liturgical Nusalaut as an exponent of bahasa tanah, the traditional ritual language in the Central Moluccas.
