Iqembu lobuhlanga IMinangkabau kungokwemvelo emazweni asentshonalanga ye yeSumatrae Indonesia. Isiko lakho komama, okusho ukuthi, idlula isuka kumama iye endodakazini, kuyilapho ezothando nezombusazwe zingezabesilisa (ngaphandle kokuthi abanye besifazane nabo badlala indima ebalulekile kulezi zindawo). Namuhla, 4 million minang bahlala eNtshonalanga Sumatra, kuyilapho abanye abangaba yizigidi ezintathu besatshalaliswa emadolobheni nasemadolobheni ahlukene e-Indonesia nase- Inhlonhlo yaseMalay.
I-Los IMinangkabau ingamaSulumane kakhulu, kodwa futhi balandela amasiko obuhlanga. I- IMinangkabauadat Yayisuselwa ezinkolelweni ezingokwenkolo ngaphambi kokuvela kwamaSulumane, futhi imikhondo yezinkolelo zokukholelwa ku-animistic isabonakala kwabanye abantu. Ubudlelwano obukhona phakathi kwe-Islam kanye ne-adat buchazwa kusisho esithi "Isiko lasungula umthetho wamaSulumane."
Igama elithi Minangkabau kwakucatshangwa ukuthi liyinyunyana yamagama amabili: minang (onqobileyo) no kabau (inyathi). Kukhona inganekwane yokuthi leli gama lisuselwa empikiswaneni yendawo phakathi kukaMinangkabau nenkosana engomakhelwane. Ukugwema impi, abantu bendawo bahlongoza ukuthi kulwe kuze kufe izinyathi ezimbili, ukuze kuxazululwe impikiswano. Inkosana yavuma futhi yakhiqiza inyathi enkulu kunazo zonke, embi kakhulu futhi enolaka kakhulu. IMinangkabau yakhiqiza ingane yenyathi elambile, enezimpondo zayo ezincane ezibukhali njengemimese. Ibona inyathi yabantu abadala ngakolunye uhlangothi, ingane yagijima inethemba lokuthola ubisi. Inyathi enkulu ayibonanga songo enganeni futhi ayizange inake, njengoba yaqalaza isitha sayo. Ngenkathi ingane igijimela ukubeka ikhanda layo esiswini senyathi endala, izimpondo ezibukhali zazigxilisa zambulala, uMinangkabau waba ngumnqobi womncintiswano nombango.
Umugqa wophahla lwezindlu zendabuko zaseWest Sumatra, obizwa ngokuthi URuma Madang, iyagoba kusuka phakathi nasemajukujukwini, kube ukulingisa amajika anezimpondo zenyathi. Abantu bokuqala ukufika eSumatra bakwenze lokho cishe ngo-500 BC, njengengxenye yokwandiswa kusuka Taiwan ngaseNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia. Ulimi lwaseMinangkabau luyilungu lomndeni wolimi lwase-Austronesia, futhi lufana kakhulu nolimi lwesiMalay.