Palembang is part of the Musi grouping, specifically the Palembang–Lowland cluster, which also includes the Lowland subcluster containing Belide, Lematang Ilir, and Penesak varieties.

This decreasing number of Javanese loanwords used by Pasar speakers is linked to the rise of Standard Indonesian influence in the daily speech of urban areas.

That said, Pesisir speech in the outer areas share high lexical similarity rates with neighboring Malayic lects of Jambi and Bangka.

According to Adelaar (2004), the development of Malay as a distinct ethnic group may have been influenced by contact with Indian culture following the migration of Proto-Malayic speakers to southern Sumatra.

One such written source is the Kitab Undang-Undang Simbur Cahaya, which is believed to have been compiled by Queen Sinuhun, the wife of Palembang ruler Prince Sido ing Kenayan, around the 17th century.

[24] Some dictionaries of Palembang, however, also add [ɛ] and [ɔ] into the sound inventory for pronunciation guides without claiming their phonemic statuses (though one can see some minimal pairs as in [d͡ʒəro] 'inside' vs [d͡ʒərɔ] 'deterred').

[27] Dictionaries and textbooks on the language, however, sometimes make use of different orthographies with diacritics, particularly to distinguish: The table below notes the differences between the spelling systems used across several sources, ordered diachronically: The system devised in the dictionary compiled by Hasyim et al. (2003) is the one used by textbooks for Palembang-language subject at schools as of 2024,[30] and is also used in the Palembang translation of the Quran officially sanctioned by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The jegho or alus register contains many borrowed Javanese words and is used in conversations with community leaders, elders, or respected individuals, especially during Palembang traditional ceremonies.