ꦧꦱꦗꦮ
Javanese
Austronesian
Javanese (basa Jawa) is the largest Austronesian language by native speakers, with ~98M speakers, primarily in central and eastern Java, Indonesia (Yogyakarta and Surakarta as cultural centers), with significant diaspora in Suriname, New Caledonia, and Malaysia. Famous for its three-tier speech-level (krama) system reflecting social hierarchy: ngoko (informal, used among intimates), madya (middle, semi-formal), krama (high formal, used to elders/strangers), with krama inggil as a deferential register for highest-status addressees including royalty. Choosing the wrong register is a major social misstep. Has a literary tradition dating to the 9th c. (Old Javanese / Kawi) with classics like the Ramayana Kakawin and the 18th-c. Babad Tanah Jawi chronicle. Originally written in the Brahmic-derived Javanese script (Hanacaraka, ꦲꦤꦕꦫꦏ), now widely written in Latin script (basa Jawa modern). Co-developed pegon (Arabic-script) for Islamic contexts.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Javanese
Water
banyu
/banju/
Fire
geni
/ɡəni/
Sun
srengéngé
/srəŋeŋe/
Moon
bulan
/bulan/
Mother
ibu
/ibu/
Father
bapak
/bapak/
Eat
mangan
/maŋan/
Drink
ngombe
/ŋombe/
Love
tresna
/trɛsna/
Heart
ati
/ati/
Tree
wit
/wit/
House
omah
/omah/
Dog
asu
/asu/
Cat
kucing
/kutʃiŋ/
Hand
tangan
/taŋan/
Eye
mripat
/mripat/
Hello
halo
/halo/
Thank you
matur nuwun
/matur nuwun/
One
siji
/sidʒi/
Good
apik
/apik/
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian languages
| Meaning | Javanese | Caribbean Javanese | Indonesian | Malay | Musi | Old Javanese (Kawi) | Old Malay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | banyu /banju/ | banyu /baɲu/ | air /ˈa.ir/ | air /ˈa.ir/ | ayek /ajek/ | ꦮꦫꦶꦃ /warih/ | ayar /ajar/ |
| Fire | geni /ɡəni/ | geni /ɡəni/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | ꦄꦒ꧀ꦤꦶ /aɡni/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | srengéngé /srəŋeŋe/ | srengéngé /srəŋeŋe/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | ꦱꦸꦂꦪ /suɾja/ | matari /matari/ |
| Moon | bulan /bulan/ | rembulan /rəmbulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | ꦕꦤ꧀ꦢꦿ /tʃandra/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Mother | ibu /ibu/ | mbok /mbɔʔ/ | ibu /ibu/ | ibu /ibu/ | mak /mak/ | ꦆꦧꦸ /ibu/ | ibu /ibu/ |
| Father | bapak /bapak/ | pak /paʔ/ | ayah /ajah/ | ayah /ajah/ | bapak /bapak/ | ꦫꦩ /rama/ | bapa /bapa/ |
| Eat | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | ꦄꦩꦔꦤ꧀ /amaŋan/ | makan /makan/ |
| Drink | ngombe /ŋombe/ | ngombé /ŋombe/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | ꦄꦩꦶꦤꦸꦩ꧀ /aminum/ | minum /minum/ |
| Love | tresna /trɛsna/ | tresno /trɛsno/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | ꦱꦶꦃ /sih/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ |
| Heart | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | ꦲꦠꦶ /hati/ | hati /hati/ |
| Tree | wit /wit/ | wit /wit/ | pohon /pohon/ | pokok /pokoʔ/ | kayu /kaju/ | ꦏꦪꦸ /kaju/ | kayu /kaju/ |
| House | omah /omah/ | omah /omah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | ꦈꦩꦃ /umah/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Dog | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | ꦄꦱꦸ /asu/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | ꦩꦺꦴꦁ /moŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Hand | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | ꦠꦔꦤ꧀ /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Eye | mripat /mripat/ | mripat /mripat/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mato /mato/ | ꦩꦠ /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | halo /ˈhalo/ | hai /hai/ | halo /halo/ | ꦫꦲꦪꦸ /rahaju/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | matur nuwun /matur nuwun/ | matur nuwun /matur nuwun/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ | terimo kasih /terimo kasih/ | ꦤꦸꦮꦸꦤ꧀ /nuwun/ | — /—/ |
| One | siji /sidʒi/ | siji /sidʒi/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ | siko /siko/ | ꦌꦏ /eka/ | sa /sa/ |
| Good | apik /apik/ | apik /apik/ | baik /baiʔ/ | baik /baiʔ/ | bagus /baɡus/ | ꦲꦪꦸ /haju/ | baik /baik/ |
Word order compared
Compare with major world languages
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