JP\/19\/DUNCAN<\/p>\n
FEENGERS BEWARE: THE MUSH OF MADURA WAG TONGUE TO MARVEL<\/p>\n
Feengers beware: The mush of Madura wag tongue to marvel<\/p>\n
Duncan Graham
\nContributor\/Surabaya<\/p>\n
Indonesia ranks high on the International List of English
\nManglers, even when its recognized that many forms of the world
\ntongue are now considered legitimate variations.<\/p>\n
Singlish, the singsong language of Singapore belongs to that
\nrich island; linguists say it should no longer be measured
\nagainst the round-vowel speech of Britain's Home Counties any
\nmore than the drawl of the Southern States should be matched
\nagainst the nasal twang of New South Wales.<\/p>\n
India (Hinglish), Malaysia (Manglish), South Africa, Pakistan,
\nthe West Indies, Canada, Australia, New Zealand -- each former
\ncolony, dominion or whatever has broken away from the mother
\ntongue as much as it has from the motherland.<\/p>\n
It's not just the accent -- each country has developed its own
\nvocabulary and syntax.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, which was only briefly ruled by Westminster, has
\nfound it difficult to easily embrace the international language.<\/p>\n
Dutch is no passport to anywhere but Clogland, and first
\npresident Sukarno wisely banned it from schools. Unfortunately he
\nalso briefly campaigned against English, even though he was a
\npolyglot.<\/p>\n
So there's some excuse for signs like KEEP YOUR POLITE
\n(outside a Buddhist heritage site near Malang) and DON'T BE
\nSLOPE TO CRATER (at a volcano).<\/p>\n
Anyway we get the message.<\/p>\n
And we probably understand Juanda airport's warning that "MANY
\nBAGGAGE REAL LIKE" though maybe this is not the best way for an
\ninternational gateway to present a professional image equal to
\nKuala Lumpur or Singapore.<\/p>\n
President Susilo and many of his ministers speak excellent
\nEnglish so surely government tourist guides could do better than
\n"The crater of Mt Bromo is largely open with belch of smoke
\nespecially from its bottom." The right words are particularly
\nimportant when it comes to history: "The incident made the
\nNederland angry until one of them Mr Pluegman died."<\/p>\n
Sensitive men (aren't we all?) should beware the Surabaya City
\nCouncil's promotion of "the cut of the married couple." This is
\n"a ceremony to cut boy's sex to make him grows old and to gives a
\nsign that he has been grown up. The boy who has been feenger has
\nhis sex cut, then he was brought around the kampoeng by
\npalanguin."<\/p>\n
Best not be a feenger, or if you are stay clear of the
\nnation's second biggest city.<\/p>\n
The Hindu temple complex at Prambanan near Yogya is a world-
\nclass heritage site. It was "apprehensive condition when found"
\naccording to the official brochure which is pockmarked with
\nerrors. As entry to the site carries a $US10 fee for anyone with
\na white skin (Rp 7,000 if you look Asian) it seems reasonable to
\nexpect that they might get the English right.<\/p>\n
The introduction of computer translation software has
\neliminated the need for copywriters to employ high-cost native
\nspeakers to check their language -- and it shows:<\/p>\n
"Sale location Atom Market is strategic enough, residing the
\nnorth side entrance. There is about more than 20 merchant which
\nin every day vend the typical home snack of the market. Saturday
\nand Sunday are much waited day, because that day are the most
\ncrowded day so the way to get big profit, may simply be
\ncollapsible.<\/p>\n
"Mostly they have tens of year elaborate typical home snacks.
\nLike the confession of mBok Hajjah Mariyah which come from Madura
\nsell the Mush of Madura and Kelanthing. With her congealed
\nmaduranis dialect, he says that, mush of Madura and kelanthing
\nare processed and made by herself.<\/p>\n
"The main ingredients are starch rice powder and sugar. By
\nher arms skilled to blend that ingredients turn into typical food
\nand very tease of our appetite." (Hello Surabaya magazine)<\/p>\n
The same journal tried its hand at promoting the Ampel Mosque:
\n"Mosque which its tower boosting high. Is still stand sturdy? It
\namazed many people and wag tongue to marvel when staring at the
\ntower and its stanchion. That it present a strong mystery to the
\nworld, that its buttonhole, can not be it means faded by the
\nepoch."<\/p>\n
Even top-drawer ad agencies with major clients stuff up the
\nlanguage: "Start all over again today with new classy breed new
\nbreed what we wish for .." If you can decode that then you'll
\nneed a smoke and a good lie down.
\nOr maybe I've got it wrong. Perhaps the idea is to run a few
\nwords of English in an ad just to give the product prestige.
\nBecause so few people understand English mistakes will go
\nunnoticed. What the words say is of no consequence, like the
\nhealth warnings on cigarette packs that clearly deter no one.<\/p>\n
I wouldn't want readers to think this litany of complaints
\nrepresents any sort of linguistic superiority. My Indonesian
\ngrammar is a dog's breakfast.<\/p>\n
Among my many contributions to the mirthful lives of
\nIndonesians is to confuse murah (cheap) with muda (young), ramah
\n(friendly) with ramai (crowded) and rambut (hair) with rumput
\n(grass). Any salon under my management would probably advertise
\n"crowded young grasscuts".<\/p>\n
I have a substantial catalog of gross mispronunciations but
\nmost involve confusion with words about behavior in bedroom and
\ntoilet. As this is a newspaper your children may pick up I won't
\nprovide a list. It's bad enough that adults corrupt both
\nlanguages; let the kids find their own dirty words.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp19duncan-1447899208",
"image": ""
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