Language
Language is like living matter, depending on the situation in which it is used, it can change in just a matter of months.
Language also reflects the on-going situation of a nation. For instance, how government officials use Bahasa Indonesia is of particular interest. I consider the way they use the language reflects the current national sociopolitical situation.
The recent tendency of Indonesian terms they use obviously reveals how a language is manipulated. Just look at the phrases like pembinaan politik (political guidance), pelecehan politik (political harassment), rekayasa (manipulate), kambing hitam (scapegoat), khilaf (mistaken), oknum tidak bertanggung jawab (irresponsible person), salah kutip (misquote), organisasi tanpa bentuk (formless organization), etc. which a couple of years ago were not popular phrases. Given the context of these phrases, one can sense what is happening.
We all know that Indonesians are keen on euphemism. There is actually nothing wrong with euphemism as long as it is used proportionally.
We have pantun which is usually used to say something privily. Poets also use euphemism in their works. However, their euphemisms have significant meanings and are usually written from the heart.
On the contrary, by taking advantage of euphemism, politicians turn the meaning of a detonation sour, meaningless and ominous.
Though a language seems to be alive, it is basically a dead matter. As an instrument, language cannot do anything but keep changing according to its users and its situation. Some time ago we were not allowed to use words such as penguasa (the power) or buruh (laborer) because those words have different connotations according to the government. Therefore, we have terms such as bahasa kekuasaan (the ruler's language), bahasa hukum (legalese), or bahasa politik (political language) in order to distinguish certain terms from everyday language.
Euphemism or whatever can kill the real meaning of Indonesian words/phrases. We have already created chaos in Bahasa Indonesia. Shall we debase Indonesian in years to come?
WAHYUNI RIZKIANA KAMAH
Jakarta