Is it terms of expression or or performance that counts?

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.