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10/18/1952 - Indonesia’s National Language by Boyd R. Compton

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS HRC Asrama Mahasiswa Pegangssan Timur Indonesia National Language Djakarta Indonesia October Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World ffairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers In future letters I continually referring Indonesian language Bahasa Indonesia called Because particularly important playing development ndonesian state about Bahasa Indonesia background present situation Bahasa Indonesia favorite symbol independence unity young country Yet despite earnestness optimism those fight develop spread modified version Malay language remains languages spoken island republic A linguist count nearly separate languages distinct dialects western Sumatra eastern border Irian But statements immense diversity these islands figure startling informative Actually nearly Indonesia speak either Javanese Sundanese Madurese close relative Bahasa Indonesia The government challenging establish Bahasa IndoneSia firmly guage administration education technology among these major language groupso This current campaign sense continuation historical trend Malay achieving Lingua franca islands since least teenth century The language member OstronesiaU family makes historical appearances seventh century inscriptions powerful Shrividjaja empire East Sumatra It quite certain before developing various Hindu Buddist realms Sumatra lower Malay peninsula As result advances Islam Southeast Asia changedfrom Indian Arabic script around fourteenth century In century language trade proselyting which crried Islamic religion North Sumatra Malacca islands archipeligo In island ports convenient simple language everyday commerce conversation between racial groups A fuller development Malay language short however European conquests native areas One Malay speaking sultanates before Portuguese Dutch A language hardly reach development unless speaks independent political administration culture organized religion Malay longer filled these roles When continuous unified administration restored Malay areas again after languages administration English Dutch Malay culture virtually stagnant language religion ological study largely Arabic I Irian Western New Guinea Dutch controlled Borneo called Kalimantan while Celebes known Sulawesi A tradition refined literature Malay continued court circles especially British controlled sultanates peninsula market Malay thrived throughout islands But personality Tas split aspect developing toard level modern language capable expressing abstractions complexities function interrelations As might expected Malay produced multitude honorific terms refined variations descriptive vocabulary while market language accumulated individual items At Islam introducing vocabulary Arabic terms adition earlier influx terms Sanskrit Hindu culture But split Isnnguage poetic elegant higher vigorously expres market remained adolescence Divorced responsi bilities governing civilizing Malay language gradually enriched corrupted Chinese Javanese Sundanese Dutch English So unity widely varying dialects sprang With development Indonesian nationaldst movement century Malay language began revival growth For reasons Malay rather Java accepted language movement It printed Roman alphabet Dutch phonetic spellng showed mounting influence western sentence structure presumably Dutch education nationalist leaders A newspapers appeared several schools opened courses Malay common language became asymbol among Indonesian nationalists In youth conference Djakarta officially adopted Bahasa Indonesia Malay language islands Five years later group scholars produced first number PudJangga Barn literary magazine Bahasa Indonesia The language development under Dutch should exaggerated By handful Indoneslans truly literate Bahasa Indonesia All higher educa Dutch andth future national language still inadequate modern world science complex state administration No comparison could literary cultural revolution China after where numerous influential class nation movement reform langusgeo In Indonesia limited development limited number leaders educated elite The language revolution began Japan occupied Indonesia outlawed Dutch language Bahasa Indonesia promoted press literature became compulsory educational system A language commission established temperamen writer S T Alisjabana New created reguls grammar begun When independence claimed ugust improved still incomplete Bahasa Indonesia declared national language The struggle release Dutch control lasted A series unstable truces punitive compalgns Indonesia educated elite exhausted divided internally In May United States Indonesia Dutch sponsored federation officially succeeded unitary Republic Indonesia To federalism Dutch tainted suspect poudingly symbols national Bahasa Indonesia become significant But millions Indonesians still Some poetry prose produced period Because simpli descriptive richness language lends itself readily modern poetry command their language Dutch Still heard government offices officials arried their complicated administrative tasks In years promoting spreading natioual language areas largely responsibility vigorous press ambitiously designed educational system developing Bahasa Iudonesia modern demands hands Language Institute created under Ministry Education Instruction Culture The latter perhaps important Bahasa Indonesia hardly spread unless developed demands placed modern state language The Eanguage Institute housed campus University Indonesia Djakarta resideutial outskirts Its important divisions Terminology Commission sections Bahasa Indonesia Javanese Sundanese Madurese The commission Bahasa Indonesia echnical termi nology Eighteen sections formed conceivable varieties special knowledge geography women activities In section known scholars discuss creation terms their fields These mitred commission itself which consists several officers heads eighteen sections In weekly sessions commission makes final cision selecting terms basis priority source languages I Bahasa Indonesia Well known terms regional languages Javanese Arabic Sanskrit Widely international terms often Latin Other languages If found first categories selection under often comes Euglish Dutch At first glance sight commission trying legislate language being looks something Gilbert Sullivan But effort should taken lightly According commission secretary Dr Djumena almost terms approved years By planting lists these terms points schools newspapers radio stations government offices commis hopes maximum effect little governmeut expense ccording several local newspapermen lists actually terms I additional proof firsthand lists terms borrowed student rooming While Trminology Commission performs creative Institute language sections attempt encourage regulate natural growth living language The section Bahasa Indonesia three important translation publication periodical analytical western books Indonesian I grammar usage compi ation standard dictionary In compil dictionary staff proceeding fantastically thorough manner Their proce everything written Indonesian The first stage stagger performed students through newspapers books periodicals poems advertisements songs notes infrequent usages The notes transferred cards which files which cover almost entire large second story office When authors times considered living The office already produced concise dictionary Dr Puradarminta claims beginning Eventually files produce giant standard reference dictionary Bahasa Indonesia probably years There doubting staff seriousness I commented You process everything system selection years volume printed matter Indonesian doubles triples Dr Puradarminta answered II expand staff A bitter argument raged eteen Dr Prijana chief Language Institute Alisjabana currently editor private linguistics journal The occasion quarrel interesting several issues raised Alisjabana charges I That government trying monopolize control language growth The charge technical terminology PriJan gives Jo ausers anyone suggest terms decisions representative mittee Second government prevent private organizations capital izing financially publication terms important people whole The latter statement worth remembering indication present government ideology Alisjabana second charge language being subjected strong Javanese influence evidently through Dr PrlJana Javanese This charge indication government allowing Indonesian develop rather freely Javanese first langusge nearly Indonesla population It seems natural words appearing press prose should Javanese In these technical spheres ernment follows rather controls language development When passes authors times Bahssa Indonesia The campaign nationalize Bahasa Indonesia first stage Its success course depend language Indonesians choose speak future My experience which limited Djakarta might provide about current attitudes Here dormitory national university national capital Indonesian means first language Javanese usually speak Javanese other Dialects abound Dutch heard discussions types Often tence older student contain Bahasa Indonesia Dutch Javanese This extraordinary language mixture hoever rgely property seniors The incoming class freshmen speak better Indonesian seniors almost certain class entering Ir university lectures given Indonesian though I found Butch professors lapse their language occasionally I hesrd professor delivers lectures Indonesian tells jokes Javanese students umatrans ouderig silence Last Dr Supomo university president spoke freshman class emphasized university policy possible ormal instruction Indonesian English pushed vigorously second lanaage The other Pedoman Abadi Djakarta leading newspapers carried heated editorial arnent about possible meanings simple sentnce commentary current parliamentary crisis I would Bahasa Indonesia arrived encouraging stage development linguistic putes become impossible improbable students discuss disputes Indonesian rather Javanese Dutch With several million children studying Bahsa Indonesia school might Your sincerely Boyd R Compton Received New York