Javanese English Dictionary

by Stuart O. Robson, Singgih Wibisono

This is the most complete and and up–to–date Javanese–English dictionary available.

Javanese is the second most widely used language of the Indonesian archipelago, being spoken by some one hundred million people. It also has a rich literary tradition, comprising not only written texts but also forms of theatrical performance—notably the wayang (shadow puppetry), which preserves complex Hindu narratives from the pre–Islamic period. Twentieth–century Javanese writers have used the forms of the novel, free verse and short story to develop a contemporary literature for its vivid expression and realism. The Javanese–English Dictionary is the only reference source to provide a complete listing, with clear English translations and explanations, of all current terms used in modern Javanese. It covers the whole vocabulary needed both for everyday communication and in order to read published materials, and is a resource long needed by language scholars, students of Javanese history and society and visitors with an interest in the traditional culture of Java. With more than 25,000 headwords, it also includes local forms likely to be encountered in travel, specialist terms associated with the traditional arts of the area and obsolete words still to be found in literature.

The dictionary also contains clear explanations of Javanese culture, folklore and religious practices. Users will gain an insight into traditional Javanese cuisine, costume, crafts and the performing arts, and will be able to identify local flora and fauna. It also offers full coverage of idiomatic phrases such as, kalah cacak menang cacak , "Try to do something by trial and error," and proverbial expressions such as, nututi barang wis tiba , "To shut the stable door after the horse has bolted."

A significant feature of the Javanese language is the existence of distinct language levels, whereby many common words have variants that must be used in situations of social distance, and full cross–reference are given between the terms appropriate to each level. Javanese also has an interesting system of word construction, whereby a range of forms can be derived from one base word; these are listed together under one heading to give a clearer picture of the meanings, and cross–references are used whenever the base form is not really apparent. Highlights of Javanese–English Dictionary

824 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2002

About the author

An Australian scholar, Stuart Robson has been involved with Asian Studies for over 40 years. A resident of Victoria, Australia, he has lived and taught overseas, and has a number of publications to his name. He currently teaches Indonesian at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He is a member of the Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology. His other interests include Theravada Buddhism, archaeology, and classical Javanese music.

Reviews

[ꦧꦺꦴꦝ꧀ꦱꦸꦂꦪ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good dictionary, has most Javanese terms one could need. Very instructive and a true eye glass to another culture.

The introduction provides a great beginning to your study and definitions are well thought out and useful.

[Rahadyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very useful reference book.