Bahasa Jawa Suriname
Caribbean Javanese
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Javanese, diaspora)
Caribbean Javanese (Bahasa Jawa Suriname) is the Javanese language as spoken by the Javanese-Surinamese community, descendants of indentured workers brought from Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) to Suriname between 1890 and 1939 (~33,000 contracted, with most settling permanently). The variety has diverged from standard Java-Java Javanese (jv) through 130+ years of isolation: extensive Sranan Tongo and Dutch loanwords, simplified speech-level (krama-ngoko) system, and some Suriname-specific vocabulary. Recognized as one of Suriname's major heritage languages.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Caribbean Javanese
Water
banyu
/baɲu/
Fire
geni
/ɡəni/
Sun
srengéngé
/srəŋeŋe/
Moon
rembulan
/rəmbulan/
Star
lintang
/lintaŋ/
Mother
mbok
/mbɔʔ/
Father
pak
/paʔ/
I
aku
/aku/
You
kowe
/kɔwe/
Name
jeneng
/dʒənəŋ/
Eye
mripat
/mripat/
Hand
tangan
/taŋan/
Heart
ati
/ati/
Love
tresno
/trɛsno/
Tree
wit
/wit/
House
omah
/omah/
Dog
asu
/asu/
Cat
kucing
/kutʃiŋ/
Eat
mangan
/maŋan/
Drink
ngombé
/ŋombe/
One
siji
/sidʒi/
Two
loro
/lɔrɔ/
Hello
halo
/halo/
Thank you
matur nuwun
/matur nuwun/
Good
apik
/apik/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Javanese, diaspora) languages
| Meaning | Caribbean Javanese | Javanese | Old Javanese (Kawi) | Musi | Gayo | Banjar | Old Malay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | banyu /baɲu/ | banyu /baɲu/ | ꦮꦫꦶꦃ /warih/ | ayek /ajek/ | weih /weih/ | banyu /baɲu/ | ayar /ajar/ |
| Fire | geni /ɡəni/ | geni /ɡəni/ | ꦄꦒ꧀ꦤꦶ /aɡni/ | api /api/ | rara /ɾaɾa/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | srengéngé /srəŋeŋe/ | srengéngé /srəŋeŋe/ | ꦱꦸꦂꦪ /suɾja/ | matahari /matahari/ | matanlo /matanlo/ | matahari /matahari/ | matari /matari/ |
| Moon | rembulan /rəmbulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | ꦕꦤ꧀ꦢꦿ /tʃandra/ | bulan /bulan/ | ulen /ulən/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | lintang /lintaŋ/ | lintang /lintaŋ/ | ꦭꦶꦤ꧀ꦠꦁ /lintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Mother | mbok /mbɔʔ/ | ibu /ibu/ | ꦆꦧꦸ /ibu/ | mak /mak/ | ine /ine/ | uma /uma/ | ibu /ibu/ |
| Father | pak /paʔ/ | bapak /bapak/ | ꦫꦩ /rama/ | bapak /bapak/ | ama /ama/ | abah /abah/ | bapa /bapa/ |
| I | aku /aku/ | aku /aku/ | ꦄꦏꦸ /aku/ | aku /aku/ | aku /aku/ | aku /aku/ | aku /aku/ |
| You | kowe /kɔwe/ | kowe /kowe/ | ꦏꦶꦠ /kita/ | kau /kau/ | ko /ko/ | ikam /ikam/ | kamu /kamu/ |
| Name | jeneng /dʒənəŋ/ | jeneng /dʒənəŋ/ | ꦔꦫꦤ꧀ /ŋaran/ | namo /namo/ | gerel /gərəl/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ |
| Eye | mripat /mripat/ | mripat /mripat/ | ꦩꦠ /mata/ | mato /mato/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | ꦠꦔꦤ꧀ /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | pumu /pumu/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Heart | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | ꦲꦠꦶ /hati/ | hati /hati/ | ate /ate/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ |
| Love | tresno /trɛsno/ | tresna /trɛsna/ | ꦱꦶꦃ /sih/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | kunyung /kuɲuŋ/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ |
| Tree | wit /wit/ | wit /wit/ | ꦏꦪꦸ /kaju/ | kayu /kaju/ | kayu /kaju/ | batang /bataŋ/ | kayu /kaju/ |
| House | omah /omah/ | omah /omah/ | ꦈꦩꦃ /umah/ | rumah /rumah/ | umah /umah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Dog | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | ꦄꦱꦸ /asu/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | asu /asu/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | ꦩꦺꦴꦁ /moŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | pusa /pusa/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Eat | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | ꦄꦩꦔꦤ꧀ /amaŋan/ | makan /makan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ |
| Drink | ngombé /ŋombe/ | ngombe /ŋombe/ | ꦄꦩꦶꦤꦸꦩ꧀ /aminum/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | minum /minum/ |
| One | siji /sidʒi/ | siji /sidʒi/ | ꦌꦏ /eka/ | siko /siko/ | sara /saɾa/ | asa /asa/ | sa /sa/ |
| Two | loro /lɔrɔ/ | loro /loro/ | ꦫ꧀ꦮ /rwa/ | duo /duo/ | roa /roa/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | ꦫꦲꦪꦸ /rahaju/ | halo /halo/ | salam /salam/ | salam /salam/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | matur nuwun /matur nuwun/ | matur nuwun /matur nuwun/ | ꦤꦸꦮꦸꦤ꧀ /nuwun/ | terimo kasih /terimo kasih/ | berejen /bərədʒən/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | — /—/ |
| Good | apik /apik/ | apik /apik/ | ꦲꦪꦸ /haju/ | bagus /baɡus/ | jeroh /dʒeɾoh/ | bagus /baɡus/ | baik /baik/ |
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