Is it terms of expression or or performance that counts?

By Mochtar Buchori

JAKARTA (JP): The excessive use of Javanese words and expressions in Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) has caused irritation and unease in some circles of Indonesian society. There are those who feel that this practice, especially the use of old-Javanese or Kawi expressions, alienates groups of non- Javanese origin. There are even those who feel that this is just another expression of cultural arrogance among the Javanese elite.

Groups with this kind of perception consider the habit of forcing Javanese words and expressions into Indonesian speech a sharp contrast compared to the attitude shown by Javanese political leaders in 1928 and the years after. It was said that during those years the Javanese leaders considered the adoption of Bahasa Melayu as the national language the biggest cultural gift of the Javanese people to the Indonesian nation as a whole.

It was said that by not insisting that the Javanese language be adopted as the national language, instead of Bahasa Melayu (Malay), the Javanese people had convincingly demonstrated their broad-mindedness and great forbearance at that time. Where are the traces of this cultural magnanimity? And what is behind this present insistence on continuously inserting Javanese expressions into Bahasa Indonesia?

It should be noted that in this regard, the sentiment prevails not only among Javanese individuals, but among non-Javanese people as well.

I know many Javanese friends who share this sentiment, and there are even those who feel guilty about not doing anything to arrest this flux of "Javanism" in our national language.

In my view, this phenomenon has been caused by several reasons. Some of these reasons can be considered innocent. But there also reasons that are not so innocent because basically they come from arrogance.

The most innocent reason is perhaps the fact that many Javanese people are compulsively polite. They take great care that their adherence to politeness is properly manifested in the language they use. To these people, Bahasa Indonesia is a language which is not capable of adequately expressing nuances of politeness. For this reason they introduce Javanese words and expressions in their Indonesian conversation. When they want to say "Would you please sit down, Sir", they feel that the simple expression "Silakan duduk, Bapak" is not sufficient. They prefer to say, "Silakan lenggah dahulu, Bapak", lenggah -- the polite form for the verb lungguh, to sit -- being a word capable of expressing respect for the person being addressed. Thus every time they want to convey their respect toward others, they turn to Javanese words for a better way of expression.

Another reason which in my view smells of arrogance is the practice, common among Javanese people who feel themselves established, to adopt names that sound distinguished, names that clearly set them apart from ordinary people. This is done not only in finding names for persons, but also in inventing names for buildings, for horses, and for events they consider important. For example, these people will never use names like Kasdi for a son, or Suminten for a daughter. Such names are appropriate for commoners, but not for children of people who have reached upper class. Such children must be given names that suggest nobility, names that bear a touch of class, like Kusumaningpraja (meaning: the flower of the state) for a boy or Sumarahingtyas (meaning: unconditional acceptance of fate) for a girl.

For this same reason, finding names to be used for buildings is done with great care. Government buildings must have names that bear respect and dignity. These names should also sound grandiose, suggesting a mystical power which constitutes the source of authority that resides in the building.

Viewed from this standpoint, names like Gedung Kehutanan or Wisma Veteran just will not suffice. They sound too plain and suggest nothing. Hence the decision to name those two buildings Manggala Wanabakti (commander of servitude to forests, or happiness brought about by servitude to forests) and Graha Purnayuda (the house built after the battle is over, or the house of those who carried out the battle). And for much coveted praise to be bestowed on provincial governments to acknowledge their achievements in development efforts, a very high-sounding name has been invented: Parasamya Purna Karya Nugraha, meaning: A collective reward for the completion of a [great] job. Can you memorize that?

The question we are now facing is to decide whether this practice enriches Bahasa Indonesia, or whether it is an unhealthy intrusion of Javanese language into the Indonesian language.

Personally, I have an ambivalent attitude in this regard. While I endorse every effort to refine and sharpen Bahasa Indonesia, I do not want to see our national language become as stratified as the Javanese language. At the end we should not forget that forms of linguistic politeness within the Indonesian culture will never and can never be identical to forms of politeness within the Javanese culture.

As for names that suggest dignity and respectability, I think these two attributes originate basically from performance and from character, either personal or institutional. Names do not provide dignity and authority, it is the reverse that is true: dignity and authority come from performance. Once a public office has demonstrated to society that it is capable of carrying out its functions effectively and correctly, respect will come to it. And the accumulation of public respect will generate dignity and authority.

I think it would be wise for us to stop resorting to symbolism and mysticism in our efforts to develop elegance in our language, and civility and authority in our society. We should employ instead methods and approaches that are more promising and easily understandable and appreciated by the public.

The writer is an observer of social and cultural affairs.