{ { Infobox ethnic group
| group = Bisaya People<small>Orang Bisaya</small>
| image = Bisaya Beaufort.jpg
| caption = Bisaya Sabah traditional costume
| population = 140,000
| poptime =
| popplace = : 45,000
: 7,000 (1984): 74,000: 14,000
| langs = Sabah Bisaya, Malaysian, Brunei Bisaya, English
| rels = Majority Islam (Sabah and Brunei) and significant minorities of Christianity and Animism (Sarawak) | related = Murut, Lun Bawang/Lundayeh, Kadazan-Dusun, Dayaks }}
Bisaya is an indigenous people from the northwest coast of East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Their population is concentrated around Beaufort as well as Kuala Penyu districts of southern Sabah (in which they are counted under the Kadazan-Dusun group of peoples), Labuan Federal Territory and in Limbang District, Sarawak (in which they are grouped under the Orang Ulu designation). The Bisaya tribe has many similarities with the Dusun Tatana tribe, especially in terms of language. It is evident that some of their dialogical language conversations are almost identical if they have a dialogue with each other. Nowadays the Bisaya living in Sabah are Muslims, while the Bisaya living in Sarawak are mostly Christians. In Brunei, they are referred as Dusun, Jati Dusun and Bisaya (one group with the Dusun people of Sabah, Dusunic people). The Bisaya is closely related, linguistically, with the Tatana Dusun of Kuala Penyu, Sabah.
Origin and etymology
Several theories have been put forward by various researchers regarding the origins of the name of the Bisaya people. Beyer H.O. in 1926, Hester E.D. in 1954 and Harrison in 1956 suggested that the name may have come from the empire of Sri Vijaya (Sonza, 1972). However, in 1960, Eugene Vestraelen (Professor of Linguistics at the University of San Carlos, Cebu City) cautioned that the linguistic derivation of Vijaya would not be Bisaya but Bidaya, or Biraya.
Another theory was suggested by John Carroll:
History
The proto-Bisaya's indigenous people settled in Borneo thousands of years ago. They are skilled in agriculture, particularly in the areas such as paddy planting, ginger, sago, local ginger, tapioca, banana, yam, pepper, coconut. They also hunt animals and breed others, such as chicken, duck, goose, goat, buffalo, cows and many more. Bisaya people are skilled in catching fish either from the river or at sea, and they can hold their breath under water without drowning.
Language
Sabah Bisaya language has 90% intelligibility of Tatana, a Dusun dialect. Bisaya in Sabah also has 58% lexical similarity with dialects of Sarawak Bisaya and 57%–59% with Brunei dialect. Bornean Bisaya belong to the Dusunic group, linguistically.
Music, arts and crafts
The traditional musical instrument consists of Kulintangan, gong, and many of small gongs (cf. Asmahs claim that the Bisaya are supposed to be the best gong musicians). It is as if somebody just beats the gong and everyone-men, women, young and old just starts to dance. All these instruments are used in the wedding ceremony, celebrating very important people etc. Besides the musical items, the Bisayas are able to make good weapons for various purposes. There are , sumpit, parang, keris and knife.
Culture and tradition
Belief and customs
The majority of the Bisaya in Sabah (Beaufort) are Muslims while the Bisaya in Sarawak (Limbang & Miri) are mostly Christians. Though they treasure their cultural traditions of medicine, marriages, death etc., they don't actually practice it, possibly due to the influence of the religions. Even though they would call the traditional medicine men or women known as Bobolian'' to perform rites in times of illness, most now go to modern medical clinics.
Folk dance
Liliput dance (Sabah) Jipin (Zapin) dance (Sabah) Sayau Bagarus dance (grinding some sago trunk to produce sago flakes) (Sabah) Mengalawat dance (performances as they stepping on the sago flakes to produce sago juices) (Sabah) Mencayau dance (to celebrate victories after defeating the pirates) Ugang Bamboo Bubu mengalai (Sabah) or bubu dance using some spells such as: Ya Bamban Ya Lukah, Ya Bamban Eh Basari, Main Kita Si Ipar Muda, SiLukah Pandai Menari Alai Anding
Folk songs
Kulintangan Bisaya consist of 27 traditional songs and three berasik songs (spells for curing illness). Badaup during paddy harvesting.