Addressing women in Javanese:
- dik = abbrev. adik, younger sibling used for addressing a
young gal
- jeng = polite form of dik abbrev. ajeng to address
a single lady younger than you
- di ajeng = younger sister
- mbak = abbrev. mbakyu from simbok ayu, beautiful woman
= older sister
- ni mas = (no longer in use) from nini emas - golden lady
- ni ken = (no longer in use) nini kenyo - lady lady (pesindens
love this name)
- mbok from simbok = mother
- biyang = mother (crude)
- ibu, bu = mother
- bulik = (still in use) ibu cilik - small mother - aunt younger
than your parents
- bu de = (still in use) ibu gede - great mother - aunt older
than your parents, sometime to address a grandmother
- mbah putri = from simbah putri, grandmother
- eyang putri = polite form for mbah putri
- tante = Aunt, for Dutch-speaking Indonesians
- zus = zusje, sister / younger sister, for Dutch-speaking Indonesians
- den ajeng = raden ajeng (from low to high - a young-aged mother)
- den ayu = raden ayu (from low to high - an elderly lady)
- Gusti Bandoro Raden Ayu - if you are looking for a big tip, call
a lady this way
- ndoro jeng = abbrev. Bandoro Raden Ajeng - granddaughter of
the Sultan / Sunan
- Gusti Putri = Princess daughter of the Sultan
- Gusti Ratu = Queen wife of the Sultan
- Mbok Ratu or Nini Ratu = the Sultan addressing his queen
The villagers (orang desa) have another set:
- nduk from genduk (daughter) for a young gal
- the man of the house will introduce his wife as mbokne si genduk
= the mother of my daughter
Addressing men in Javanese:
- mas = "gold" - to a man older than you
- kang or kakang = to an older close friend
- kangmas or kakangmas = polite form of the above
- dik, adi = to a man or boy younger than you
- dimas or adimas = "golden younger brother" - polite form to
a man or boy younger than you
- broer, broertje - Dutch-speaking Javanese for brother and younger
brother
- man or paman = "uncle" - to uncle figure
- oom or om = to uncle or uncle figure for Dutch-speaking Javanese
- oompye = to uncle, younger than your father
- wo, siwo, wak = to uncle, older than your father
- pak, bapak, bopo = "father" - freely used to anyone male older than
you, or anyone having a better position than you. (Bopo is no longer
used, except Bopo Adam dan Ibu Kowo - Adam and Eve, or in wayang/ketoprak
dialogue)
- mbah, simbah, simbah lanang, simbah kakung = grandfather
- eyang, eyang kakung = polite form of grandfather
- mbah buyut, simbah buyut, eyang buyut kakung = great grandfather
- den or raden = the great grandson of the Sultan/Sunan.
(You never lose this title, their son and grandson keep this title)
- denmas or radenmas = the grandson of the Sultan and Sunan,
Their children become raden
- bandoro raden mas = the son of the Sultan/Sunan. Their children
become radenmas. Bandoro Raden Mas become Kanjeng Raden Tumenggung
when they get a position in the palace
- Kanjeng Sinuwun, Sampeyan Dalem, Panjenengan Dalem = Javanese addressing
the Sultan or Sunan
Crude forms used in the village:
- tole = son (the t is a hard t, like the bushman language in Africa)
from kontol (male sexual organ) from father to son, opposite of genduk
- bapakne si tole, is a village woman calling her husband
- mbokne si tole, is a village man calling his wife (somehow
mentioning her real name is taboo)
- cung from kacung = little boy, errand boy (rarely used). Used
a lot during Dutch government. Derogatory. Still used between really close friends
You must remember though, the ones written are from Central Java / Jogja area,
not Banyumasan or Surabayan -- they have another set.
Source: Eyang Kendro - KKendro [at] AOL.COM
See also:
Published by
truevis.com
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