Learning Javanese Words & Phrases

August 28th, 2008, in Opinion, by Guest Writer

View the original article here.

Bookmark:

31 Comments on “Learning Javanese Words & Phrases”

Pages: [1] 2 »

Purba Negoro Says:
August 28th, 2008 at 3:19 am
Sorry- Javanese slip- parang is sword.

I meant to type pareng. Nyuwun pangapuro, ya?

Also Dutch Gulden featured the four scripts of these four languages: Chinese, Arabic, Javanese and Dutch. on the reverse of the note

Here is a picture:
(Javanese top, Chinese left, Arabic right, Dutch bottom):
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z274/profxxx_2007/19301.jpg
Kris Says:
August 28th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Hi, as a linguist, I’m curious what your statement is based on that Tagalog has many Javanese loanwords, I’d be very interested to hear more about that… Thanks
Lucky E. Santoso Says:
August 28th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Here’s an online tool to help you improve your skill in Javanese numbers (might be useful in bargaining situations with Javanese vendors).
Peter Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Informative post!

Yes, after staying in Jogja for 2 months, I’d agree that Javanese does not seem to be in the grip of death. It’s spoken just as much if not more than bhs Indo, and some of my friends there actually purposefully speak Javanese instead of Indonesian. Someday I hope to learn basa Jawa, but that may be a long way off. I think it sounds nicer and more sophisticated than bhs Indo, personally.

Also, I noticed that Javanese culture and history are recieving a lot of interest these days. Just go to any Gramedia.

I would say that “thanks” in Javanese is much closer to “Matur Nuwun” than “Matur Nyuwun”. No one ever said it like that in my experience.
Peter Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 12:51 am
But hopefully, I would add, this interest in all things Javanese isn’t just a fad, like the popularity of batik clothing these days seems to be.
Aluang Anak Bayang Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 1:19 am
Our language should be official as we are the majority, the most powerful and most prominent race in the nusantara. The puppet melayu (collaraborator of the Bules) were put in governmental position as they were considered easy to control. Javanese are stubborn and rebellious.
Purba Negoro Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 2:51 am
enggeh, Mas Peter.

It is Noowen. I am from DIY myself.

Setujuh Mas AAB: Agung Ageng Buminegororoyo.

I agree-we Javanese should well be now above 50% of the population.
Those rough and rowdy Batak need a good Javanese dose of manners too.

Javanese is very much essential extra spice to living in Jakarta even.
Next post I will do Sundanese, then Balinese.

I think Javanese newspaper needs to be put back into daily circulation- a language unpracticed and unspoken will die. And language is the window to one’s thought and the root of culture.
Maybe also Sundanese Buginese and maybe Bali- as very similar too and they are our very faithful and loyal friends.

There are now more Javanese speakers than Japanese!
All we need to do is help them relearn fluent reading.

The Javanese script is also very elegant to read- as beautiful as fine Latin script cursive:
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/javanese.htm

Javanese culture is indeed beautiful- we have positively influenced many of our Austronesian brothers through our language , customs and culture and it deserves far better than neglect.

No ndherek langkung for us!
We must be gagah- not takut!

Soon Javanese will be Unicode ready- we will be finally able to preserve and compose masses of our wonderful literature in our superb language!

Kris: the fundamental influence of Javanese on Tagalog is neng and ng (Tag- nang and ng) as well as suffix “-an” and prefix “ke”.

Andriana, asu, api, kita, kami, apat (papat) rambutan, asa, tolong, buntut, etc all Javanese.

Kampangan and other Philippines languages have much stronger influence still. Phillipinos are our very close Austronesian brothers- we have been interacting and trading for centuries.
When I go to Singapore- where many Filipinos work- they are often surprised when I can follow their conversation or when I ask- what part of Java are you from?!

Even Dutch Formosa- now Chinese Taiwan- was in 1600’s majority Austronesian well-known to Javanese and called Siraya.
The famous “Laguna” copper engraving of Philipines- clearly indicates Kawi script

KL Adelaar is a very good source. His Javanese is superlative.
Wolff attributes much Tagolog as Malay- but he is completely ignorant Malay is actually majority Javanese.

Some PDF download from Adelaar:
http://www.kitlv-journals.nl/files/pdf/art_BKI_1501.pdf

http://www.kitlv-journals.nl/files/pdf/art_BKI_1990.pdf

http://www.google.co.uk/search?gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&q=adelaar+%2Bjavanese&btnG=Search&meta=

The Austronesian Languages of Asia and Madagascar
By K. Alexander Adelaar, Nikolaus Himmelmann

and here is excellent resource for our beautiful script (derived from Brahmin Palava)
(also Batak, Buginese, Balinese and many more!)

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/javanese.htm
http://www.pallawa.com
http://www.giritontro.wonogiri.org/mod.php?mod=publisher&op=viewarticle&cid=21&artid=42

Now who wants some gudek? oh look cashew pecel from Wonogiri!
Next post- Sundanese phrases!

I hope Pak Sudarsono will join us to woo us with his trademark erotic kecapi style!
Kris Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I am familiar with the work of Adelaar and Himmelmann. Nobody disputes that Tagalog and Javanese are related, in fact they both belong to the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of Austronesian. What I’m taking issue with here is your claim that Tagalog borrowed a lot of words from Javanese. I have a suspicion that the borrowings you give are simply cognates from a common source. I don’t have access to scholarly works here, but I know for a fact that kami, kita and api are from the proto-language, and most certainly not from Javanese originally. Otherwise you’d have to explain how the Samoans borrowed their word for fire, afi, from the Javanese.

As for your criticsm of Wolff, I’d have to download the articles first to understand what you’re criticising here (and right now I don’t have a good enough connection). But if it’s an older reference, it was quite common to call Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian until the Formosan languages were added into the mix. In fact Javanese and Malay belong to the same subsubgroup so large similarities are to be expected. In some cases the link might be obscured by the fact that Malay borrowed a considerable amount of its vocabulary. Indeed the origin of quite some commonly used Malay words is unclear while the corresponding words of many local languages in Indonesia can be traced back to the Austronesian proto-language.
Links 1 « Indonesisch-Blog Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 11:44 am
[...] dem Blog Indonesia Matters läßt sich Purba Negoro zum Javanischen aus, und ruft Ausländer dazu auf, neben dem Indonesischen auch ein paar Brocken Javanisch zu [...]
Purba Negoro Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Polynesians are genetically Austronesian.

Many Javanese words have been borrowed to fit their lexicon.

The theory is that the Austronesians migrated from South coastal Asia- probably somewhere around China-Mynamar border.
They then island-hopped to Formos and Japan, then downward finally into Indonesia & Phillipines, constantly interacting, then sailed further out- all the way to Hawaii.
Hawaiians, Samoans, Fijians, Tongans, Maori- all look very much like Batak Sumaterans- very big, solid, people.

The cultural traits of body decoration, tattooing, poison use, head-hunting, ancestor-worship, expert seamanship and navigation and most especially the trademark outrigger boat remain universal.

Even in part of Maluku in Indonesia- we find an instrument exactly like the Australian didgeridoo- and we are aware the Aborigines of Northern Territory and Javanese-Buginese all traded.

Most likely we all remained in contact via trade and intermarriage etc.

Here is a Samoan-Javanese comparison:
http://www.samoa.co.uk/austronesian_languages.html

Australian academia particularly has been polimicised- but neglects the very obvious. Javanese and Indonesian trade- as the dominant nation of the region was far more widespread than realised.
This would have altered the prevailing perception “Malays” (istelf a problematic colonial term for Moslem inhabitants of the malay arhcipela (all of ASEAN really) Indonesians, etc were lazy, inept, and incapable and undermined the moral reaons for White colonialism.

Then during the 1970’s- Western academia wrestled with post-modernism and cultural relativity.

Unfortunately much Indonesian and Philipines research is unavailable to many Westerners- which is very much rooted in the tradition of evidence-based reasoning- still the dominant discourse of tertiary study.

Post modernism and such liberal indulgences are soundly rejected as emotive hagiography in Asia

There is still academic debate- but Iw ould argue as ajva being the most populated- the root is Javanese

Samoa is known in Javanese as “Sava”.

Her is a google scholar search on Javanese influence on Samoa:
javanese%20influence%20%2Bsamoa
http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/om/om19.htm
Purba Negoro Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Hallo und Servus Deutchlande!
Kris Says:
September 4th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Since my bad connection here doesn’t really allow me to get into protracted discussions, so I will end with this statement: linguistics uses the comparative method, which has worked well on the Austronesian family, and from that it is very unlikely that all these words came from Javanese as borrowings (your links on Samoan didn’t provide any insight into any kind of language contact, certain similarities in mythological stories is something completely else, you can even find similarities between Greek and Japanese mythology)….

Now was far as archaeology and anthropology go, I will have to reserve my judgment to a certain degree since it is not my field, but I do know some archaeologists and anthropologists working in SE Asia, and they are not the ideology-laden fields you make them out to be. They too follow certain academic standards. Right now the accepted archeological theory for the migration path of the Austronesians (and the results gleaned from the comparative method seem to support this, though I caution anyone not to mix archeaological and linguistic evidence) is from their homeland somewhere in present-day Southern China to Taiwan, then on to the Philippines, and from the Southern Philippines three different routes on southward, to Sulawesi and Borneo/Kalimantan (s. works by Adelaar, Robert Blust, Malcolm Ross, and others as far as the linguistic evidence for the migration goes, and of course Peter Bellwood as far as the archaeological record goes, and also the account popularised by Jared Diamond in his book Guns, Germs, and Steel). The latter island is regarded the homeland also for the Malagasy and Malayic peoples (Malayic is a linguistic subgroup encompassing Javanese, Sundanese and Malay, often grouped with Balinese and Sasak, though not by all). As far as your claim for staying in touch through trade or intermarriage, that is not tenable. There is no evidence for this. There is the Lapita network around Melanesia and Polynesia of course roughly around 1000 BC, and the well-known Makassar-Australia trade link, which however occurred much more recently, starting only in the 18th century. As for Intermarriage relations, they are already very complicated at a local level, as the massive amount of anthropological literature available on this topic can attest to. A link to islands thousands of miles away is thus simply out of the question.
Ramli Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Very good site indeed. I found one English-Javanese (Kromo Inggil) Dictionary when I was studying in tyhe US way back in 1974. Does such dictionary exust in Indonesia?

Regards
Ramli Abdul Rahim
Malaysia
jaka Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Pak PN, panjenengan sanes tiyang jawi nggih?
Rob Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
PN…

Being able to speak the lingo in any country you visit is indeed something that gains the respect of your hosts.

You have posted elsewhere that you speak some Mandarin. I am sure that this is appreciated and respected by your hosts.
Miguel Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Kampangan and other Philippines languages have much stronger influence still. Phillipinos are our very close Austronesian brothers- we have been interacting and trading for centuries.
When I go to Singapore- where many Filipinos work- they are often surprised when I can follow their conversation or when I ask- what part of Java are you from?!

In fact, javanese and tagalog people share a lot in common..both people emphasizes respect and proper public conduct. Both people don’t like confrontations and are slow to anger but they can be very strict and very stubborn. they are resilient people and they have a political tendency. they are both natural-born leaders since most of the government officials in indonesia are javanese. in the philippines, most government positions are occupied by people of tagalog culture. I know this because my father is a tagalog. I’m filipino (hey it is not PHilipino) by the way.
Purba Negoro Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Pak/Bu Jaka.
Buset! Memang se tiyang Jawa lan Jawir. Mengapa? Dalem ngulis di basa londo sebab semua wong2-an liya bisa slurup
/waos. Saya menulis sing mriki di wowor boso ne wiwit/kasual (wus elek, nwn1000y?!) aja sebab mudah mangertos, ya. Nwn1000, ya? Karungan/sanes?

Rob,
Indeed. My Mandarin is poor to ludicrous and I am sure my pronunciation is woeful and ear-splittingly horrible- but the thought and effort is very appreciated- whatever nation, race etc.
The “cold-shoulder” of a native just melts away as soon as they hear manners in their own tongue- whether it be London, Munchen, Dalian, Kirabati (not been yet unfortunately!), wherever.
It’s amazing how some people just refuse to learn even the may I, please, excuse me and thank-you. Are four words too hard to bother or is it too hard too be bothered?

Manners are indeed the may be considered to some a bourgeois affectation- but they are in the real world non-post-modernists dwell in the grease of society- without it needless friction occurs.
jawa asli Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
mas jaka,

I think PN isnt orang jawa. He may be able to speak bahasa jawa but I bet he is a foreigner. Some of the mistakes that he made are so obvious that if he was from jogja he wouldnt have done it. I am really flattered though that someone actually really make an effort to learn krama inggil.
Purba Negoro Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Hidup Rakyat Filipino!
Sorry ya- paumanhin, ya Bapak?

Tagalog: manipis ang mukha- shy person
Indonesian: muka yang tipis- shy person

matalas ang mata?
Mata-nya jelas yang mata?

Tag: anak-dalita- poor person
Jav: anak dhalita- child of the dhalit

I have some very old and crumbling Dutch dictionaries of Javanese I am trying to scan before they disintegrate.
I have not yet come across either a Jawi or a specific Kromo Inggil dictyionary yet- but I shall ask my great aunt- she is a Javanese linguist former professor in UI

Filipino, Malaysians, Indonesians and Javanese- best of friends- one royal blood ties us all!
Purba Negoro Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Lucky’s dictionary was a great start.
However the numbers are all in very vulgar ngoko pasaran- market speech portmanteaus

You cannot speak these figures aloud to anyone aside from very low status person- even still it may cause offense.

Lucky’s translations into Javanese are very rude- it has the connotation of slave-level servitude. Only use these numbers among very close same-age friends for gossip only.

puluh should read “puloh”

11- se welas
12- loro-welas: rolas is portmanteau market vulgar speech
13: telu welas no telas
14- papat welas not patlas
etc
Indonesian “belas” is from Javanese “welas”

20 is not correct

You can use these numbers ok:
seket= 50 good
selawe= 25 good

200- rong atus- you cannot say this- this is just rubbish gutter speech
better use dua ratus and not cause offence.
Mat Salleh Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Aluang Anak Bayang, at least you are honest. In 1928, only 5 per cent of people in Indonesia spoke Malay, which was to become known as ‘Bahasa Indonesia’. Now Javanese is just another ‘bahasa daerah’ in Indonesia, a vernacular language.
fullmoonflower Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 1:10 am
20 = kalih dasa (kromo) = rong puloh (ngoko)

“puluh” in Bahasa Indonesia = “dasa” in Javanese kromo = “puloh” in Javanese ngoko

kangmas jawa asli, dalem ugi sumelang dateng piyambakipun PN, amargi kathah ingkang tasih dereng leres…
namung nggih sampun, mboten usah dipun penggalih…
langkung sae, kita dukung kemawon semangatipun… lha wong dalem piyambak nggih sok klentu kok… nggih maklum, sampun dangu mboten ngendikan basa jawi ingkang leres…
Pakmantri Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 10:16 am
If you really interested in learning about Javanese these sites might help:

These two are in Javanese:

Ki Demang site

Griya Maya Kabudayaan Jawa

This is a Javanese-Indonesian dictionary, it might not be complete yet but it is much better than the Javanese dictionaries made by the Malaysian( interestingly when you Google learning bahasa Jawa, most sites were made by Malaysian and they are Jawa pasaran ):

Kamus Jawa-Indonesia

This one is in English:

Joglosemar Online

If you are interested in what is Kejawen then visit these sites:

Javanese Mysticism

Sumarah Meditation

World Subud Association

Pangestu website

Have fun.

Monggo pinarak.
fullmoonflower Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Matur Nuwun, Pak Mantri..

Lha niki, piyayi Yogya asli, saking Mantrijeron je.. saking nJeron Beteng…

(So, he [pak mantri] is a real Yogya man, from Mantrijeron, a kampung inside of the Kraton Ngayogyakartahadiningrat Fort)

inggih to? leres to?

sugeng rawuh…..
Pakmantri Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Sak wangsulipun , denAyu Sekar

Wah, dalem menika tiyang Jawi engkang sampun radi kesupen Jawi nipun, ngisin isini waris kemawon.

( Oh, I am just a Javanese who almost forget how to be a real Javanese, a disgrace to my ancestors ).

Monggo …………
Lairedion Says:
December 19th, 2008 at 1:03 am
Pakmantri said:

( Oh, I am just a Javanese who almost forget how to be a real Javanese, a disgrace to my ancestors ).

Reading your sensible answers I believe you are a true Javanese, unlike other posers here at IM.
Pakmantri Says:
December 19th, 2008 at 8:57 am
@Lairedion,

Ulah sok kitu lah kang, jadi era kuring euy.

But thanks anyway.
fullmoonflower Says:
December 19th, 2008 at 11:25 am
inggih Pak Mantri,

kita sedanten kadose kedah kathah sinau malih…

sok prihatin, menawi presa bocah-bocah dateng Yogya, sedaya mawi ngendikan ngagem basa Indonesia, nanging logatipun tasih logat Yogya ingkang medhok…
rayi-rayi nggih sampun mboten saged ngendikan kromo hinggil…
ET Says:
December 19th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
As much as I admire all efforts to preserve regional languages – I myself am an eager student of high or Ida Balinese, very difficult due to the lack of grammar courses – I have suspicions that the promotion of Javanese and the growing trend in the media of random insertion of Javanese words and expressions serves a different purpose i.e. the slinky replacement of the neutral and unifying bahasa Indonesia by the idiom of the ruling and colonizing ethnic majority. Soft imperialism it is called.

These last weeks even IM doesn’t seem to escape the trend, and not only in this tread.
fullmoonflower Says:
December 19th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
ET

even “banget” is Javanese…

“banget” means “very”, whereas Bahasa Indonesia already has “sangat”… but people prefer to use “banget” than “sangat”..

don’t know why…