Synopses & Reviews
Cekidot, gan!—"Check it out Boss!"
Kamu Dodol—"You're a coconut fudge!" (You're slow on the uptake)
This book is an informal compendium of Indonesian expressions, including proverbs, slang, quotations and acronyms.
The unique aspects of the Indonesian language offer one of the best windows into Indonesian culture. Slang, titles, proverbs, nicknames, acronyms, quotations and other expressions reveal its character, in the words of its people and are a great way to learn Indonesian culture. This book of expressions looks at Indonesia with the help of its national language, bahasa Indonesia. It describes Indonesians and their fears, beliefs, history and politics, as well as how they live, fight, grieve and laugh. Indonesian is a variant of Malay, the national language of Malaysia, and many of its expressions come from the Malay heartland of Sumatra island. Indonesian has also incorporated terms from Javanese, the language of the dominant ethnic group in a huge nation of more than 17,000 islands. Although Indonesian is officially a young language, it contains words from Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese and English, a legacy of the merchants, warriors, laborers and holy men who traveled to the archipelago over the centuries. The Indonesian language was a nationalist symbol during the campaign against Dutch rule in the 20th century. Indonesians who fought against colonialism made it the national language in their constitution when they declared independence in 1945.
Two generations later, modern Indonesians love word play. The tongue slips and skids, chopping words, piling on syllables and flipping them. Indonesians turn phrases into acronyms, and construct double meanings. Their inventions reflect social trends, mock authority, or get a point across in a hurry. This book divides Indonesian expressions into categories such as food and wisdom, politics and personalities. The format is the same in each chapter. An expression in Indonesian, or sometimes a regional language in Indonesia, is followed by a translation, an interpretation of the meaning, and usually a summary of the idiom's origin or background. Some translations are more literal than others, reflecting an effort to balance clarity of meaning with the flavor of the original words.
Review
"For each colloquial expression, the authors also provide some background information to add some context. Some of these insights are quite illuminating…" —Alterity Blog
Review
"…it takes these slang words or expressions and gives you the background to how these expressions came about into daily use. It places these expressions in historical context too so as well as learning some of the language you are also getting a history and geography lesson about Indonesia too. Perfect!o —Sinead Lawson, Juice on Jakarta
Review
"This is an absolutely wonderful book – less Indonesian learning tool than a whirlwind tour through the culture, history and politics of an insanely complex archipelago, and it really is Indonesia in a nutshell." — Escape Artists
Synopsis
Indonesian Slang is an informal compendium of Indonesian expressions, including proverbs, slang, quotations and acronyms. Designed to be both educational and easy to read, the chapters hit on various linguistic themes, among them characters, animals, food, slang, family affairs and politics. Entries include the expression in Bahasa Indonesia, a translation, an equivalent expression in English, and an explanation if necessary. A handy book for the casual traveler to Indonesia.
Synopsis
Indonesian Slang is an informal compendium of Indonesian expressions, including proverbs, slang, quotations and acronyms. Designed to be both educational and easy to read, the chapters hit on various linguistic themes, among them characters, animals, food, slang, family affairs and politics. Entries include the expression in Bahasa Indonesia, a translation, an equivalent expression in English, and an explanation if necessary. A handy book for the casual traveler to Indonesia.
About the Author
Christopher Torchia is the Turkey bureau chief for
The Associated Press, based in Istanbul. He was previously posted with the AP in Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia and Colombia, as well as several U.S. cities. He is the co-author of
How Koreans Talk.Lely Djuhari is a communication specialist based in Geneva, Switzerland. Prior to that, she reported on social and political issues in Indonesia, East Timor and on Indian Ocean tsunamis for Kyodo News and the AP.
Table of Contents
ò Introduction
ò Part I: Life Forms 1. Creatures 2. Chracters 3. Body Language
ò Part II: Power and Conflict 4. Authoritarian Rule 5. Money and Politics 6. Protest Fever
7. A History of Violence
ò Part III: Tradition 8. Faith and Fortune 9. A Matter of Taste 10. Family Affairs
11. Wisdom
ò Part IV: Modern Life 12. Around Town 13. Insults and the Underground 14. Hanging Out
Sources
Index