WILL JAVANESE LANGUAGE BECOME EXTINCT?

Abstract

Indonesia has so many ethnic groups whose languages are different from each other. There are some big ethnic groups; Javanese, Sundanese, and etc. Here, in this case, the writer only focuses on one of Indonesia’s ethnics and languages that is Javanese. Javanese language is divided into old, middle, new and modern Javanese language. The modern Javanese language is now used by most of Javanese. There are three main dialects in the modern Javanese language; Central, Eastern, and Western Javanese. They have their own accent and dialect that differs one Javanese language from one another. Each employs its own vocabulary and grammatical rules. There are three Javanese language styles; Ngoko, Madya, and Krama. Those three different styles that Javanese uses show that in Javanese there are levels of politeness. The politeness itself is being one of a sacral thing that must be kept by every Javanese. Nowadays, Javanese language becomes endangered language, in which at risk of falling out of use as its speakers die out or shift to speaking another language. Most of Javanese speak in Indonesian as their national language. If they keep speaking Indonesian in their daily communication, Javanese language will be an extinct language. The government should have policy to protect Javanese language from being extinct by including Javanese language in school curriculum, providing government law to force the Javanese to keep speaking Javanese language.