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
20 core words in Caribbean Javanese
Water
banyu
/baɲu/
Fire
geni
/ɡəni/
Sun
srengéngé
/srəŋeŋe/
Moon
rembulan
/rəmbulan/
Mother
mbok
/mbɔʔ/
Father
pak
/paʔ/
Eat
mangan
/maŋan/
Drink
ngombé
/ŋombe/
Love
tresno
/trɛsno/
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/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Javanese, diaspora) languages
| Meaning | Caribbean Javanese | Javanese | Minangkabau | Musi | Old Javanese (Kawi) | Banjar | Indonesian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | banyu /baɲu/ | banyu /banju/ | aia /aia/ | ayek /ajek/ | ꦮꦫꦶꦃ /warih/ | banyu /baɲu/ | air /ˈa.ir/ |
| Fire | geni /ɡəni/ | geni /ɡəni/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | ꦄꦒ꧀ꦤꦶ /aɡni/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | srengéngé /srəŋeŋe/ | srengéngé /srəŋeŋe/ | matoari /matoaɾi/ | matahari /matahari/ | ꦱꦸꦂꦪ /suɾja/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ |
| Moon | rembulan /rəmbulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | ꦕꦤ꧀ꦢꦿ /tʃandra/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Mother | mbok /mbɔʔ/ | ibu /ibu/ | amak /amaʔ/ | mak /mak/ | ꦆꦧꦸ /ibu/ | uma /uma/ | ibu /ibu/ |
| Father | pak /paʔ/ | bapak /bapak/ | abak /abaʔ/ | bapak /bapak/ | ꦫꦩ /rama/ | abah /abah/ | ayah /ajah/ |
| Eat | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | ꦄꦩꦔꦤ꧀ /amaŋan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ |
| Drink | ngombé /ŋombe/ | ngombe /ŋombe/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | ꦄꦩꦶꦤꦸꦩ꧀ /aminum/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | minum /minum/ |
| Love | tresno /trɛsno/ | tresna /trɛsna/ | cinto /tʃinto/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | ꦱꦶꦃ /sih/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | cinta /tʃinta/ |
| Heart | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ | ꦲꦠꦶ /hati/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ |
| Tree | wit /wit/ | wit /wit/ | kayu /kaju/ | kayu /kaju/ | ꦏꦪꦸ /kaju/ | batang /bataŋ/ | pohon /pohon/ |
| House | omah /omah/ | omah /omah/ | rumah /ɾumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | ꦈꦩꦃ /umah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Dog | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | anjiang /aɲdʒiaŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | ꦄꦱꦸ /asu/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kuciang /kutʃiaŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | ꦩꦺꦴꦁ /moŋ/ | pusa /pusa/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Hand | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | ꦠꦔꦤ꧀ /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Eye | mripat /mripat/ | mripat /mripat/ | mato /mato/ | mato /mato/ | ꦩꦠ /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | salam /salam/ | halo /halo/ | ꦫꦲꦪꦸ /rahaju/ | salam /salam/ | halo /ˈhalo/ |
| Thank you | matur nuwun /matur nuwun/ | matur nuwun /matur nuwun/ | tarimo kasiah /taɾimo kasiah/ | terimo kasih /terimo kasih/ | ꦤꦸꦮꦸꦤ꧀ /nuwun/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ |
| One | siji /sidʒi/ | siji /sidʒi/ | ciek /tʃieʔ/ | siko /siko/ | ꦌꦏ /eka/ | asa /asa/ | satu /satu/ |
| Good | apik /apik/ | apik /apik/ | rancak /ɾantʃaʔ/ | bagus /baɡus/ | ꦲꦪꦸ /haju/ | bagus /baɡus/ | baik /baiʔ/ |
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