Javanese language

   Pronunciation of Javanese language is the original language of the Javanese people who come from the island of Java.  As the most populous island in the world, many communities on the island of Java can understand the Javanese language naturally even though they do not have a Javanese ethnic identity.  Javanese is recognized as one of the regional languages ​​(A.K.A. native or local language) in Indonesia with the largest users concentrated in the provinces of Yogyakarta, Central Java, and East Java.  Javanese is also recognized as a minority language in several countries around the world, especially in Suriname, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, Hong Kong, Australia, Caribbean, Sri Lanka, and other Southeast Asian countries.

   Basically, the Javanese language is not written in Latin, but with Javanese letters consisting of 20 to 33 basic characters, depending on the use of the language in question.  Like other Brahmi scripts, each consonant represents a syllable with an inherent vowel /a/ or /ɔ/ which can be changed by applying certain diacritics. 

   Javanese language has several levels of speech, or a variety of languages ​​related to the ethics of the speaker to the other person or person being spoken to.  Its use depends on things like social status, age, kinship distance and familiarity.  The difference between speech levels in Javanese is mainly in the vocabulary and the affixes used.  Based on the degree of formality, vocabulary in Javanese can be classified into three, namely 1) ngoko, 2) madya, and 3) krama.  The ngoko form is used to speak to people who are familiar with the speaker.  The form of krama, is used to speak formally to people who are not yet familiar or of a higher social rank.  Some affixes also have the equivalent of manners.  Meanwhile, the intermediate form is very limited in number, only about 35 special words, and is used to express a moderate degree of formality.

   In addition to the three varieties of vocabulary based on the degree of formality, there are also types of vocabulary used to signify respect (honorific) or humility (humilific), namely krama inggil and krama andhap.   Vocabulary combinations from these categories form three levels of sentence speech, according to the names of the main lexicon used, namely ngoko, madya, and krama, each of which also has several sublevels.  The choice of using this speech level depends on the familiarity or closeness of the relationship between the speaker and the interlocutor.  The difference between the sublevels in each speech level usually depends on the use of the lexicon krama inggil and krama andhap which signify the speaker’s respect for the interlocutor who has a higher social status.