Jakarta yuppies' lingo keeps them in an exclusive world
Jakarta yuppies' lingo keeps them in an exclusive world
JAKARTA (JP): If you relax in a cafe or the other places frequented by yuppies, you might occasionally catch fragments of conversations in a strange language. It is quite dissimilar to foreign languages like English, French, German or Japanese, the languages we sometimes hear in the course of our daily lives in Indonesia.
One example of this strange language is Ina pina kina binar?, which means Apa kabar? (How are you?). Another is Titi DJ, the name of a popular singer, which means hati-hati di jalan (take care).
Young professionals call it bahasa gaul (colloquial social language). It has a vocabulary that is not found in the dictionary. Yuppies use it only during their social encounters. Those unfamiliar with such encounters will have difficulty in understanding the language.
"I use this language after office hours. That is an unwritten agreement. In the office, especially in meetings led by the boss, we use formal Indonesian," said Budi Wahyudi, a marketing executive at PT Terang Kita Kabel.
Budi, who is also called Bobo, said that there are many kinds of colloquial language. He learned one, known as prokem, when he was at high school many years ago. Then, another group of his associates created bahasa gaul by inserting in to the middle of words. Bahasa gaul is also called bahasa binan. Binan itself is the colloquial word for banci, the Indonesian word for transsexual, who widely speak the language.
Before using bahasa binan, Bobo often practiced a colloquial language called bahasa walian. This type of speech was initially used by young people from Malang in East Java. Walian comes from walik meaning turned or reversed. Thus words are reversed. Malu (shy) becomes ulam, motor becomes rotom, and so on.
In the late 1970s the youth of Jakarta spoke a colloquial language known as prokem. The trend had a strong following because the language was also used by movie idols like Rano Karno and Junaedi Salat (Ali Topan Anak Jalanan, Ali Topan the Street Child). Sys N.S., currently chairman of the Indonesian Film Actors Association, was among those who used prokem in everyday life. Prokem terms still widely known today are boil for mobil (car), bokap for father, nyokap for mother and si doi for girlfriend or boyfriend.
Apparently the use of colloquial language is expanding into various professional circles such as the hotel industry, entertainment, banking and industry. It is already certain that such language is highly popular in the film-producing world.
"At any shooting location, nearly all those involved in production use bahasa binan. Actors and actresses use this language every day," said Indah Gita Cahyani, an actor who has just started an import-export business. Indah admits that she even uses the language with her mother, "to be close to each other. At least then my mother will know about the youth of today."
Indra Safera, a popular master of ceremonies, noted that nearly all young professionals use bahasa gaul, from those who openly speak the language down to those who use it hesitatingly because of their limited vocabulary.
The use of bahasa gaul is not limited to young professionals living in the capital city. Edwan Handoko and Dina R. Zahra, who worked in Singapore for many years, said that quite a few expatriated young Indonesians use bahasa gaul there. Young Indonesians in the United States do the same, according to Indra Safera. The Indonesian community in Australia is also known to be fond of this colloquial language.
The interesting thing is that we may hear several kinds of bahasa gaul at any gathering. Edwan, a sales executive for Crowne Plaza Hotel Resort, and Dina from Sedona Hotel, speak two distinctly different colloquial languages despite both working in the same field.
But why do yuppies use bahasa gaul?
"There are several reasons. In using bahasa gaul one can be easily accepted into a more exclusive group. Besides, it is to avoid hurting people we are talking about or simply because we want to keep our conversation confidential," said Bobo.
Bahasa gaul is easy to master, provided one mixes socially and practices frequently. The process of learning starts with developing an understanding what is being spoken, followed by attempts to pronounce the words, then finally getting used to stringing them into sentences.
Indah often intersperses her words with in, Dina resorts to and while Edwan uses both iden and spur for his bahasa gaul. When this information is known, it is easy to work out that meiden nuspur means menu. But how about tinta or tintring, which means tidak (no), Malaysia for malas (lazy) and Chrisye for kiri (left)?
It is said that such languages have no formula. They even give the impression of perfunctoriness.
"People wanting to master a bahasa gaul must meet other people socially on a regular basis because there is a continuous formation of new words. Hearing the words frequently will lead to an understanding of their meaning," said Bobo.
Jos Danien Parera, a linguist, said that there are about 20 colloquial languages spoken by youngsters throughout Indonesia.
Today's yuppies, like the youngsters of the 1970s, speak colloquial languages to show their identity. The way they speak is just like the way they dress and look.
Parera said that yuppies might stop speaking the language after about six months, when they get bored or find a new way to show who they are.
The case is different with drug traffickers or people who speak it as a secret language in earnest.
Parera said that young people also create their own languages a reaction against the establishment.
"They are not satisfied with the daily situation in life, but the reaction against the establishment will not last long because (one day) they should move into a wider environment (in society)," Parera said.
But he also believes that bahasa gaul will continue to develop because the younger generations will always want to show that they have a different identity from their predecessors.
-- This article is an excerpt from Tiara lifestyle magazine. It is printed here courtesy Tiara. More related stories appear in October's edition of the magazine.