Ramblings on...javanese salutations

For the inuninitiated, it is not Japanese nor is it German even though it is as thick in how your tongue is rolled to form the words. Javanese! Is it a dialect or a language? The Indonesian's official language is Malay though. But Javanese is written, in Indonesia, using Tamil looking alphabets. Here in Malaysia it is definitely a dying dialect, scorned by my off spring's generation even mine.

For more than forty years I was brought up as a Javanese only to be told that I am of Bugis descent back to Daeng Serewar of Champa.

Throughout those forty years I noted two distinct languages - "Jawa Kasar" (literally rough Javanese) or "Jawa Pasar" (literally market Javanese) and "Jawa Halus" (literally fine Javanese). I trained - through listening to conversations - in the former in my "kampung" (village). The latter is for the descendents of the "Keraton" or palace. This particular dialect never passed my lips for my tongue is "too thick"

My maternal mother's parents were thrown out of the palace and exiled to Pontian. Radin Chokrowijoyo (accuracy to be established soon) was my great grandfather. The language, to my ears then,  was equivalent to French though I knew absolutely nothing of the language except for the word "je taime" - overhead from the valved radio in our home.

When I go home to my birth place salutations were different from my own hometown where I grew up. My birth place practised "Jawa Halus" though only my grandparents and my youngest uncle conversed in the language.

Yayi (grandfather) and Nyai (grandmother). Wak refers to uncles and aunties older than your mother or father's siblings. Paman (uncle) and Bibik (aunt) for younger than your parent. Age is not the yardstick but the hierarchy  is based on first born, second...to the youngest.

Cousins...again based on hierarchy. If their parents are in the pecking list above your parents, your cousins will be saluted with "abang" (brother), "kakak" (sister). Those cousins belonging to uncles or aunties younger than your parents will be referred to as "adek" (little brother or sister"). Within the siblings, the elders will be referred to "kang mas" (more like venerated ones as opposed to golden elders).

In my hometown, different salutations prevails. Mixture of Malay and Javanese. "Embah" generally refers to grandfather. But Malay Salutation is added. "Embah Wer" (probably from the root word of "tua" or old) for the eldest, "Embah Ngah" (definitely from the root  of "tengah" or middle which is for the second in the family), "Embah Busu" (assuredly from the root word of "bongsu" or youngest).

"Lek" (uncle) and "Cik" (aunty) are used without differentiating the pecking order. Within the cousins, we address them mimicking the salutations proferred by Malays - "abang" (brother) or "kakak" (elder sister) or "adek" (both younger brother or sister).

Unless others have differing salutations, mine will persist till the day you correct mine

Dedicated to the remaining few Javenese speaking Malaysians out there...I salute you