Jalak Budo

[Raden Usman Djogja]

Originally Posted by ganjawulung

Dear Usmen,

This time I’m not talking about keris, but on “javaneseness” that probably you may relate to javanese habitude on naming something.....

“Londo” was actually related to Holland, or Belanda – the Eruropean nation which colonialized Java back for quite a long time. Even the javanese don’t bother, whether in the past there was “another londo” from England (British colonialization in a short time between 1811-1816 under Lord Minto in India and Lieutenant Governor Thomas Stamford Raffles, and only about one year of Lieutenant Governor John Fendall. No wonder if the javanese call them “londo Inggris” or “londo from England”). Or “londo Ustrali” to mention people from Australia…

Keris budo? Besi Budo? Zaman Budo? Maybe the same “fate” as “zaman londo” I told you. No matter whether the real reality was “hindu era” nor “hindu keris”.... Thus, the most important is not what the javanese said what, but why did they say that…

Ganjawulung

Dear Ganja,

Perhaps, the European who came first in Jawa led by either Magelhaens or Vasco da Gama (both werent Dutch/Londo). However, the Europeans who became the first ever popular were Londo. According to the habitual in language, Jawanese refers to the first popular or wellknown word. So everybody comes from European will be called Londo: ranging from londo Inggris to londo nge-Rum/Turk. Even, some people are called as Londo Ireng. Londo Ireng is for labelling/mockering an indegenous person who act unaccepted manner based on society surrounding.

Then other case is about monosodium glutamat (MSG). The first popular MSG was ajino-MOTO. Perhaps, Jawanese has tasted other MSG long before ajino-MOTO. Now, if you ask traders in traditional market MSG or "mitchin", they dont know at all. But, soon after you change a word from MSG to MOTO, everyone will smile and know what you want. They will ask you what brand you want: Moto SASA or ajinoMOTO (the original).

From these two examples, I just wonder if Jawaneses were/are so ignorant to choose unrelated word to labelling/specifying something. For instance in using BUDO to labelling the ancient keris. It should be any relation why Jawanese used it.


warm salam,
Usmen