Foreign words in Indonesian language

Having read some opinions in the "Your Letters" section of The Jakarta Post recently on the use of Sanskrit, Malay or any other foreign and domestic languages, I would like to give my comments.

Bahasa Indonesia is not a stagnant language, it is a dynamic one. It is still developing and enriching the vocabulary through the absorption of other languages. That is why it is not surprising when we find words that are borrowed from foreign languages, especially those concerning technical terms.

I read with interest Mochtar Buchori's article entitled Is it terms of expression or performance that counts? (The Jakarta Post, June 14, 1995). I can understand that the use of Javanese in the Indonesian language is excessive. Don't blame the people for that. The experts in the Center for Development of Bahasa Indonesia should do something about it. Also, we are all aware that most powerful figures in the government are Javanese. And there are many ethnic groups in Indonesia, but the motto: Binneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), of which I am proud, has united the whole nation.

Respectful of others' opinions, I also would like to make some suggestions.

* Do not check the influx of foreign languages into Indonesian because the language is still developing and the other languages are needed to enrich its vocabulary.

* The use of foreign languages should not be banned. We are no longer concerned only with ethnical and regional communities but we now belong to the international community, and we don't want to be called "an isolated state."

* Using Indonesian words as a substitute for foreign expressions is sometimes inappropriate, simply because we don't have the exact equivalent in Indonesian for the foreign terminologies. For example, "toll roads" (Jalan tol?), "interchanges" (jalan melingkar?), "computer" (komputer?). Shall we consider this: "What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." These Shakespearean words suggest that names are not important. What is important is the nature and character of the thing itself. However, this is not always true, especially when it comes to a name of a well- known product. It can even be dangerous.

A. BAIHAQI

Kediri, East Java