Indonesian slang

Colloquial Jakarta Indonesian
Bahasa Gaul,Bahasa Indonesia Gaul,Bahasa Indonesia dialek Jakarta
Native to	Indonesia
Region	Indonesia,especially inurban areas,particularlyJakarta
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Malayo-Sumbawan Malayic Bazaar Malay Betawi Colloquial Jakarta Indonesian
Writing system	Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Glottolog	cjin1234Colloquial Jakarta Indonesian

Indonesian slang vernacular(Indonesian:bahasa gaul,Betawi:basa gaul), orJakarta colloquial speech(Indonesian:bahasa informal, bahasa sehari-hari) is a term that subsumes various urban vernacular and non-standard styles of expression used throughoutIndonesiathat are not necessarily mutually intelligible. Regional slang from the capital ofJakarta,based onBetawi language,is however heavily exposed and promoted in national media, and considered thede factoIndonesian slang.Despite its direct origins, Indonesian slang often differs quite significantly in both vocabulary and grammatical structure from the most standard form of Indonesia's national language. These expressions are neither standardized nor taught in any formal establishments, but rather function in daily discourse, usually in informal settings. Several dictionaries ofbahasa gaulhas been published. Indonesian speakers regularlymix several regional slangsin their conversations regardless of origin, but depending on the audience and the familiarity level with the listeners.

History

Simplified overview of progress of the development of standard Indonesian and Indonesian slang.

It is exactly unclear when the slang was first appeared in conversation. However, the earliest documented use of the slang started during the Dutch colonial era in Indonesia around the 1860s and 1870s. Its native name,bahasa gaul(the 'social language'), was a term coined in the late 1990s wherebahasameans 'language' andgaulmeans 'social', 'cool' or 'trendy'.Similarly, the termbahasa prokem(a more outdated name for Indonesian slang) created in the early 1970s means 'the language of gangsters'.Prokemis a slang form of the wordpréman'gangster' and was derived from the Dutch wordvrijman,which literally means 'freeman'.

Indonesian slang is predominantly used in everyday conversation, social milieus, among popular media and, to a certain extent, in teen publications or pop culture magazines.For those living in more urbanized regions of Indonesia, Indonesian slang language often functions as the primary language medium for communication in daily life.While it would be unusual to communicate orally with people on a casual basis with very formal Indonesian, the use of proper or 'good and correct' Indonesian (bahasa Indonesia yang baik dan benar) is abundant in the media, government bodies, schools, universities, workplaces, amongst some members of the Indonesian upper-class or nobility and also in many other more formal situations.

Indonesian slang has evolved rapidly. This is, in part, due to its vocabulary that is often so different from that of standard Indonesian andMalaysianand also because so many new words (both original and foreign) are quite easily incorporated into its increasingly wide vocabulary list. However, as with any language, the constant changing of the times means that some words become rarely used or are rendered obsolete as they are considered to be outdated or no longer follow modern day trends.

Classification

At present, there is no formal classification for Indonesian slang language but it is purportedly and erroneously claimed by many to be essentially a manipulated and popularized form of the Indonesian (the national language of Indonesia). This is not true in the case of Jakartan bahasa gaul, as it is primarily based on the Betawi language.

Indonesian is part of the Western Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of theMalayo-Polynesianbranch of theAustronesianlanguages. According to theEthnologue,Indonesian is modelled afterRiauMalay,a form ofOld Malayoriginally spoken in NortheastSumatra.Betawi language is classified asMalay-based creole.

Geographic distribution

Indonesian slang language is mostly spoken in urban regions of theIndonesian archipelago.It also spoken in some Indonesian soap operas and animated television series (such asTukang Ojek PengkolanorAdit Sopo Jarwo). Variations of slang language can be found from city to city, mainly characterised by derivatives of the differentlocal ethnic languages.For example, inBandung,West Java,the local slang language contains vocabulary from theSundanese language,while the slang found inJakartatends to be heavily influenced byEnglishor the oldBatavian dialect(i.e. the language of the original inhabitants of Jakarta orBataviaas it was known during theDutch colonial period). For more information relating to the geographic distribution of Indonesian slang and regional influences, please see "Region Specific Slang" below.

Official status

Indonesian slang language is not anofficial languageof Indonesia. However, it is claimed as a modified form of the Indonesian language and is widely used for everyday communication and in informal situations. Sometimes it is mixed withformal Indonesianin formal situations, except during state ceremonies, business meetings, and sacred prayers. A number of Indonesians sometimes speak a mixture of Indonesian slang and formal Indonesian in everyday conversation and informal situations.

Sounds and writing

Indonesian slang generally uses the same pronunciation as standard Indonesian, although there are many influences from regional dialects on certain aspects such as accent and grammatical structure. Loan words adopted from foreign languages (especially European) such asEnglishorDutchare often transliterated according to the modern Indonesianorthography.For example, the word "please" is often written asplis.Another closely related phenomenon to arise in recent years is the formation of complex nouns or phrases created using a combination of English and Indonesian (slang) in the one sentence. A prime example of this is the phrase"so whatgitu loh! ",meaning "who cares?!" or quite simply "so what!" with added emphasis from the phrase"gitu loh".Gituis an abbreviated form of the Indonesian wordbegitumeaning 'like that/such as', whileloh(also speltlho) is aparticlecommonly used in slang or conversational Indonesian to show surprise or instigate a warning. In these cases of combined, interlingual phrases, the original spelling (and quite often the pronunciation) of the foreign word(s) are retained. Hence, the English component of the Indonesian slang phrase"so whatgitu loh! "remains relatively unchanged as far as spelling and pronunciation are concerned.

Grammar

The overall structure of Indonesian slang is not all that different from formalIndonesian,although in many cases sentences are simplified or shortened when necessary. The differences between formal and colloquial Indonesian are most evident in vocabulary and grammatical structures (e.g.affixes).

Vocabulary

No littering sign at Big Mall,Samarinda,East Kalimantan,with colloquial Indonesian features:DILARANG NYAMPAH('do not litter')

A film with a titleGagak Item,which released in 1939. The worditemis still used today in Indonesian slang.

The structure of the Indonesian slang language is mostly derived from formal Indonesian. However, its vocabularies are different story altogether. Indonesian slang vocabularies are enriched by a combination of derivatives or loan words/structures from foreign languages such asMin Nancommonly referred to asHokkien,English,andDutch,as well aslocal ethnic languagessuch asBatavian,Sundanese,andJavanese.However, in many cases, new words are simply created at random and their origins often quite obscure.

A large proportion of the vocabulary used in Indonesian slang language was developed from formal Indonesian through several methods,most of which are listed below:

• Shortening the prefixmen-,me-,mem-,ormeng-inton-ornge-.For example:
  • mengambil→ngambil'to take' (fromambil'to take')
  • menyapu→nyapu'to sweep' (fromsapu'broom')
  • merasa→ngerasa'to feel' (fromrasa'taste; feel')
  • membuat→ngebuat'to make' (frombuat'to make')
  • menutup→nutup'to close' (fromtutup'close')
• Replacing the suffix-kanor-iwith-in(BalineseandBetawiinfluence). For example:
  • menanyakan→nanyain'to ask about something' (fromtanya'to ask')
  • diajari→diajarin'to be taught' (fromajar'to teach')
• Usingke-at the beginning of non-volitional passive verbs instead of usingter-.For example:
  • tertangkap→ketangkep'to be caught' (fromtangkap'to catch')
  • terpeleset→kepeleset'to accidentally slip' (frompeleset'to miss a target')
• Elimination ofsorhfrom a word. For example:
  • habis→abis'deleted, emptied'
  • tahu→tau'to know'
  • hitung→itung'count'
  • hitam→item'black'
  • hijau→ijo'green'
  • sudah→udah'already'
  • saja→aja'just'
  • lihat→liat'see'
• Contraction of two or more words into one word or abbreviation. For example:
  • terima kasih→makasih'thank'
  • gak jelas→gaje'not clear, absurd'
  • males gerak→mager'lazy' (lit. 'lazy to move')
  • bokap-nyokap→bonyok'parents' (lit. 'father-mother')
  • sange gak ketampung→sagapungorsegapung'hypersex' (lit. ''losing control about their own sex arousal'').
  • ewe bo'ol→ebol'anal intercourse(for consensual anal intercourse),sodomy(for non-consensual anal intercourse)'
  • buka paha tinggi-tinggi→bupati(showing their thighs off).
  • sekitaran wilayah dada→sekwilda(breast)
  • percaya diri→pdorpede'confidence'
  • gerak cepat→gcorgercep'hurry up'
  • hand phone→hporhape'any kind of cellphone'
• Altering the pronunciation of[a]in some final closed syllables into[ə](Javanese, Betawi, and Sundanese influence; in many cases this revived the oldProto-Malayicsyllable-əC). For example:
  • tangkap→tangkep'to catch'
  • benar→bener'correct'
  • pintar→pinter'smart'
  • malas→males'lazy'
  • segar→seger'fresh'
  • cepat→cepet'fast'
  • hitam→item'black'
  • diam→diem'shut up'
  • ingat→inget'remember'
  • sambal→sambel'chili sauce'
  • dekat→deket'near'
• Altering the pronunciation ofiintoe.For example:
  • inginorpingin→pengen,'want'
  • naik→naek'up'
  • kemarin→kemaren'yesterday'
  • baik→baek'good'
• Altering the pronunciation ofuintoo.For example:
  • belum→belomorbelon,'not yet'
  • telur→telor,'egg'
• Contracting a diphthong into a monophthong (monophthongization). For example:
  • kalau→kalo'if'
  • kacau→kaco'chaotic'
  • galau→galo'confusion'
  • hijau→ijo'green'
  • pakai→pake'to use'
  • sampai→sampe'until'
  • cabai→cabe'chilli'
  • capai→capek'tired'
• Addition and exclusion of silent consonants andglottal stopsto the beginning/end of a word, usually in speech. For example:
  • kalo[kalɔ]→[kalɔʔ]
  • pake[pakɛ]→[pakɛʔ]
  • sampe[sampɛ]→[sampɛʔ]
• Making of aprokemword by adding-ok-infix. For example:
  • bapak→bokap'father'
  • nyakorenyak→nyokap'mother' (a special case where the consonant /k/ become /p/ to make it rhyme withbokap)
  • jual→jokul'to sell'
  • berak→boker'to defecate'
  • sapa→sokap'who' (sapais a colloquial word ofsiapa'who')
  • polisi→plokis'police'
  • sini→sokin'come in'
  • tua→toku'old' (originated from MAPALA UI, an environmentalist and adventure students club atUniversity of Indonesia)
• Reversing thephonemeor syllable order from a word. For example:
  • sange→engas'sexually aroused'
  • anjing→jingan'fuck (interjection)' (lit. 'dog')
  • lumayan→nayamul'not bad'
  • bego→ogeb'stupid'
  • sikat→takis'to take something'
  • selow→woles'relax; taking easy' (from English word "slow" )
  • bang→ngab'older brother; bro'(shortened form ofabang'older brother')
  • mabok→kobam'drunk'
  • bisa→sabi'can, be able to'
  • yukoryuks → kuyorskuy'let's go, come on'
  • mobil→libom'car'
  • miskin→kismin'poor'
  • enak→kane'delicious'
  • ribut→tubir'chaos; fight'
  • satu,dua,tiga→utas,aud,agit'one, two, three' (in this context,satuorutasmeans afreshmanin Senior High School;audorduameans asophomorein Senior High School; whileagitortigameans a penultimate orseniorin Senior High School.

Some words are simply loaned from English. For example:

• sorry →sori
• friend →frenorpren
• basically →besikli
• swear →suer
• brother →bro
• sister →sis
• please →plis
• slow →selow
• babe →beb
• by the way →btworbetewe
• on the way →otworotewe
• double →dobel
• triple →tripel
• simple →simpel
• bother →bader
• backhoe →beko
• septic tank →sepiteng
• check it out →cekidot
• cancel →kenseulorcancel

Some words are also loaned from Chinese languages (mainlyHokkienandMandarin). For example:

• angpau/angpao'monetary gift' (Chinese:Hồng bao;lit.'red envelope'; a gift usually given during holidays or special occasions, stemmed from tradition done byChinese community)
• auban'stubborn' (Chinese:Ảo man)
• bo'no; don't have' (Chinese:Vô;it is often used with another descriptive noun/adjective, for examplebo huatVô pháp 'unable',bo kam guan'not sincerely willing to let go off somtehing')
• cengli'fair, make sense' (Chinese:Tình lý;lit.'reason', 'sense')
• cuan'earn, profit' (Chinese:Trám)
• hauce'delicious, tasty' (Chinese:Hảo cật)
• hauce sèn cin ping'extremely/overly delicious' (Chinese:Hảo cật thần kinh bệnh;the phrase is derived from Indonesian popular slang expression enak gila(from enak'delicious' andgila'crazy, insane'), withshén jīng bìng( thần kinh bệnh ) literally means 'crazy, insane')
• ho ciak'delicious, tasty' (Chinese:Hảo thực)
• kepo'busybody' (Chinese:Gia bà;a slang fromTaiwanese Hokkien,has abackronym"knowing every particular object" )
• toke/tauke'boss' (Chinese:Đầu gia)

Some words originated from theLGBT community(especially among transvestites) usually have word ending-ong.This either come from the pattern of changing the vocal of thepenultinto[ɛ]and replacing therimeof theultimawith-ong,or entirely different origin. This was also an attempt among LGBT community to alter the words to become more "French-sounding ", thus sounding more sexy.For example:

• dandan→dendong'to dress up'
• gede→gedong'big'
• gratis→gretong'free'
• homo→hemong'homosexual'
• keluar→klewong'to ejaculate' (fromkeluar'to go out')
• laki→lekong'male'
• mau→mrong'want; sexual activity' (the meaning 'sexual activity' comes from theonomatopoeiaof a cat sound (méong) during sexual intercourse)
• sakit→sekong'homosexual' (fromsakit'sick')
• sepong'fellatio' (fromisep,colloquial form ofhisap'to suck')
• tempongortembong'anal sex' (fromtembak'to shoot' andbokong'ass')

Others

Many words also emerged without following the above rules at all or have their own unique history and/or origin not related to its literal meaning. For example:

• abgorabege'teenager' (fromanak baru gede,lit. 'recently grown up kid')
• anjay,anjir,anjrit,anjas,bejiretc. 'wow (interjection)' (from the profanityanjing'dog' usually used as a negative interjection, the change in its rhyme gives a slightly positive meaning)
• backstreet 'to date in secret'
• baper'touchy' (frombawa perasaanlit. 'to take feelings')
• banget,fromJavanesebanget'very'
• basian'hangover'
• beud'very' (frombanget'very'; this word has become popular after Indonesia's fast food chain,CFCcoined the word on one of their television advertisement)
• bokep'blue film' (from the abbreviation of "blue film",BF,which is read asbé-èforbé-èpthen transformed into aprokemword using infix-ok-)
• capcus'let's go' (fromcabut'to pull off something', colloquially means 'to go'; popularized by LGBT community)
• cepu'snitcher'
• chuaks(avocalizationof someone who wants tospit;used to dismiss someone else's argument, made popular by Reza "Coki" Pardede, an Indonesiancomicand Majelis Lucu Indonesia, an Indonesianstand-up comedycommunity)
• ciyus'serious' (fromserius'serious')
• cupu'out of date, not trendy; nerd' (fromculun punyalit. 'has nerdy attribute',culun'out of date; nerd' andpunya'to have, to possess'; it became popular after Indonesia's beverage brand, Pop Ice, coined it in their television advertisement in 2007)
• doangfromBetawidoang'just'
• gebetan'crush' (fromgebet'to approach, to get closer to someone', itself a slang)
• GRorgeer'to have a prejudice about itself' (fromgede rasalit. 'to have a big feeling')
• garing'lame, corny' (fromgaring'dry')
• jackpotorjack pot'vomiting'
• jebakan betmen'prank' (lit. 'Batman's trap')
• jijay'disgusting, grotesque' (fromjijik'disgusting'; sometimes used to express a condition of 'utmost disgust', used in the phrase "jijay bajay"or"anjay jijay")
• jombloorjombs'single' (fromSundanesejomblo'unable to sell (the product); unrequited')
• jutek'sassy; rude'
• kenti'penis' (fromkontol'penis')
• kimpoi'sexual intercourse' (fromkawin'to have sex')
• kinclong'shiny; good looking'
• koplak'silly'
• lebay'overacting' (fromlebih'more' with exaggerated English pronunciation imitation, or fromSumatran Malaylabaih/lebaih'excessive; crossing the line')
• lesbiola'lesbian' (fromlesbi'lesbian', extended into the wordles biolalit. 'violincourse')
• maho'gay men' (frommanusia homo'homosexual man')
• matre'materialistic' (frommaterialistik)
• memek'vagina' (from Sundanesemomok'vagina' in polite form)
• miapaormiapah'really?' (fromdemi apalit. 'by which are youswearing?')
• pansi(from "apaan sih"; the meaning of 'what the hell')
• PDKTorpedekate'hitting on someone (romantic)' (frompendekatan'approach'; has a backronym ofpede(frompercaya diri'confident') andkate'talk')
• segede gaban'very big' (lit. 'as big as Gaban';Gaban comes from the main protagonist of the JapaneseTokusatsuseries calledSpace Sheriff Gavan,which become a hit in Indonesia in the 1980s, but the term itself started appearing in the 1990s when an approximately 10 meter tall statue of Gavan was erected inJakarta's theme park,Dunia Fantasi)
• sekut'afraid; cool; come on; panic' (popularized by celebrityGofar Hilman)
• suhu'expert'
• tajir'filthy rich' (fromArabic:تَاجِر‎,lit. 'merchant, trader')
• TTMortete'em'intimate friend' (lit. 'friend but romantic';this term hugely popularized by aRatumusic video, sometimes also associated as casual sex partner orfriends with benefits)
• telmi'slow-witted' (fromtelat mikirlit. 'too late to think')
• T-O-P B-G-T'cool, awesome' (from the spelling reading oftop bgt,the colloquial spelling oftop banget'really cool' used in texting)

Pejoratives

Some of these slang words have also evolved intopejorativewords.

• alay'tacky; garish; drama queen' (fromanak layangan,lit. 'kitekid';used to describe the appearance associated withlower classchildren often spending their time outside and getting sunburnt, but then get a broader meaning)
• bang jago(fromabang'older brother' andjago'champion; master'; used to end any argument in apassive-aggressiveandad hominemmanner)
• Banglasia(originally from theMalaysian film of the same name;a pejorative name for Malaysia)
• bispak'slut,female prostitute' (from the abbreviation ofbisa dipakailit. 'easily to be used')
• botol'foolish, stupid' (from the acronym of "bodoh" and "tolol" )
• buzzeRp'political buzzer' (a portmanteau ofbuzzer politik'political buzzer' andRupiah)
• cabe-cabean'slut' (fromcabelit. 'chili',from the abbreviation ofcewek alay bisa diewelit. 'alaygirl that can be fucked';the term derived from teen motorbike gang/underground racing subculture where sometimes the ante was the racers' girlfriends and the winner could sleep with her)
• cebong(lit. 'tadpole';a pejorative name forJoko Widodo's supporters)
• decul(fromdedeCules/Culers), used byMadridistato ridicule Cules/Culers. Similarly,demitordedemit(fromdede Madridista) used by Cules/Culers to poke fun at Madridista. Both of these words usually said atEl Clásico.
• fafifu wasweswosorfa fi fu was wes wos'nonsensical', 'gibberish'.
• halo, dekorhalodek,an epithet for Indonesian policeman and soldiers corps, due to their flirtatious yet creepy and perverted behaviour, such ascatcallingagainst girls (especially doctors, pharmacists, midwives, and nurses), both online and offline.
• IQ 78,IQ jongkok,andIQ gorila'stupid people' (from pseudoscientific paper fromRichard Lynnwhich says that Indonesian IQ level are only at 78, just similar with apes)
• Indog(from "Indonesian dog" or "Indognesial"; a pejorative name for Indonesia and Indonesian)
• jamet(fromjablay/janda mètal'women who dresses and acts overly provocative but didn't care about their appearance and won't bother to take care about themselves',jajal metal'metalposeur', orJawa metal'metalheadJavanese'; a pejorative name for Javanese people)
• Jawir'from the wordsJawaand ireng (literally 'black' in javanese)' used for non Javanese people mocking a Javanese people.
• kadrun(fromkadal gurunlit. 'desert lizard';a pejorative name for Islamicbigot).
• Konoha(short forKonohagakure,the name of a fictional village in theNarutoseries; a pejorative name for Indonesia)
• kuproy'construction worker' (fromkuli proyek'construction worker'; sometimes pejorative)
• kutu kupret'bastard'
• mokondo(an abbreviation frommodal kontol doang"done just by penis", a pejorative name for a men that less than ideal in terms of intellectuality, skills, manners, and economical, a useless and cancerous men)
• Malaydesh(from 'Malaysia but Bangladesh-flavored’: a pejorative term for Malaysia's current cultural condition)
• ndakik-ndakik'words or terminologies that too hard to understand, to the point it soundsnonsensicalorgibberish.
• ngondek'sissy, effeminate' (fromkondektur'public bus attendant'; describing the manner of fast speaking on announcing the destinations while doing waving gesture done by bus attendant, popularized by LGBT community)
• oten'a pejorative name for Christianbigot'.
• RT 6orRT 06(fromrukun tetangga;used by IndonesianChristian apologiststo describeIslam,withwarga RT 6orwarga RT 06is used to describeMuslimsin general)
• RT 16(used as a counter by Muslim apologists to describeChristianity,and similarly,warga RT 16is used to describeChristiansin general)
• terong-terongan(fromtérong'eggplant'; the male counterpart ofcabé-cabéan,refer to the similarity of an elongated-shaped purple eggplant with a penis. Thus the termtérong dicabéin(lit. 'chilied eggplant') meansmale to female cross-dresser)
• VrindavanorPrindapan(fromVrindavan,the location mentioned inLittle Krishnaanimated series; a pejorative name for India)
• Wakanda(originally the name of afictional country in Marvel Comics,a pejorative name for Indonesia)
• warga +62(fromwargaand "+62 telephone code"; a pejorative name for Indonesian)

Particles

One of the advertising inJakartawith the particlekok.

Many slangmodal particlesare used in the end of a sentence. Usually, these particles do not directly change the sentence's meaning, in the sense that thetruth conditionsremain the same. However, they can have other effects, such as emphasizing a sentence, or suggesting hesitancy. They can be used to reinforce the social link between speaker and listener.

For example, the sentenceDia datang(she/he comes) could be modified by one of the following particles:

• Dia datang nih- used as exclamation.
• Dia datang dong- expresses certainty (She comes for sure), or sometimes obviousness (usually cheekily);dongcan be stressed with a long vowel to meanShe has to come.
• Dia datang kok- used to convince someone who might doubt the sentence.
• Dia datang lah- expresses a high level of certainty.
• Dia datang lho- could be translated asShe comes, you know.
• Dia datang ah- expresses hesitancy; could be translated asI think she/he comes.
• Dia datang dooong- expresses hesitancy; could be translated asI wish she'd comeorPlease let her come
• Dia datang deng- used to correct what was wrong; could be translated asShe came apparently
• Dia datang deh- used to emphasize that 'finally' the person is coming, or in different intonation and context, it is used to emphasize a condition for proposing a request, for instance in a context of: 'She will come too, so please also come with us'
• Dia datang, lagiorDia datang pula- expresses annoyance, exasperation, or general displeasure; could be translated asShe/he comes, too?

Particles can also be used to introduce questions. The following examples could both be translated asHow could she come?:

• Kok, Dia datang?- used when the speaker finds the sentence difficult to believe.
• Lho? Dia datang- indicates surprise or disbelief.

Vocabulary evolution

Pre-1980s

Kumpul keboliterally means 'water buffalo-style gathering' or 'gather like cattle'. It originated during the Dutch colonial era and was known askoempoel gebouw,fromkoempoel'to gather' and Dutchgebouw'building', thus the phrase means to live together under the same roof (as an unmarried couple). Confusion has caused this term to be linked with Javanesekebo'buffalo'. This term basically means that two people in a relationship areliving together without being married,i.e. in a domestic partnership or ade factorelationship. Tokumpul keboin Indonesia is considered immoral and sometimes illicit. For these reasons and also those relating to religion, Asian culture, and general ethics, it is often frowned upon in modern Indonesian society to do such a thing.

1980s

The 1980s was the era ofbahasa prokem.At this time slang language vocabulary was formed by the insertion of the infix-ok-,creating a totally new word.Prokemitself is aprokemword frompréman.

Prokemwords created by reducing theultima,then inserting the infix-ok-before the vocal of thepenult(which is now become the ultima). If the penult is an open syllable, the penult taking the nearest consonant after it as itscoda.If the word is monosyllabic, the infix simply inserted before the vocal. Examples are given below, with the vocal of the penult marked with bold and the nearest consonant marked with underscore:

• ba-pak→bap→bokap'father'
• ju-al→jul→jokul'to sell'
• sen-di-ri→sen-dir→sendokir

The wordsekolah'school' was transformed intoskokul,fromskul,reminiscent of the English word "school". This word slowly become outdated and by the 1990s the word was no longer used, and changed tosekulor simplyskul.

Other notable words such asmémblé'ugly, frowning',kecé'beautiful, good looking' (fromkeren cekali'very cool'), the sentence attributenih yé,and the exclamation "alamakjan!"all emerged in the same decade.

New Millennium

Much of the slang language created post-2000 originated from the IndonesianLGBTcommunity. The latest method for transforming a word is to take a totally different word which differs in its ultima,rime,or coda. For example, the wordmau'want' is replaced with the wordmawar'rose'. Despite its creativity and originality, this latest form of Indonesian slang can be quite complicated to understand, even to the native Indonesians themselves. For example, "Akikatintamawarmacarena"originates from the sentence written in proper Indonesian"Akutidakmaumakan",which means 'I don't want to eat'.

The abbreviations often used to mask insult, such askamseupay'totally lame', abbreviation ofkampungan sekali udik payahwhich means 'really bumpkinish, yokel, lame'.

Region specific slang

Medan slang

Medanis the capital ofNorth SumatraProvince. Most of the slang from Medan are heavily influenced by Malay, Hokkien and Karo language. For example, "bapa" for "father", "nande" for "mother", "kedé" for "shop", "tutup lampu" for "turn off the light", "buka radio" for "turn on the radio". Another example of Medan slang is by adding "punya" at the end of the sentence. For example, "mobil aku punya" for "my car". They also have the tendency to confuse between e/ə/and é/e/,partially due to the fact that most of nearbyBatak languageslack the former vowel, the schwa.

Jambi & Palembang slang

JambiandPalembangslang mostly involves changing the letter at the end of the word with letter 'o'. However, not all words can be modified to include the characteristic 'o', as this rule applies mostly to words ending with the letter 'a'. Sometimes Palembang use shorter-version of word by erase first syllables, like 'segala' in standard Malay-Indonesian to 'galo'.

• Kito-kita(we)
• Galo-segala(all, every)
• Ngapo-kenapa(why or what happened)
• Jugo-Juga(too)

Another characteristic pattern of Jambi and Palembang slang involves the addition or replacement of the final letter of a word with 'k'.

• Pulak-pula(too, also, as well)
• Aek-air(water)

Another classic Malay Sumatran dialect also prevailed in most of Sumatran cities, from Palembang to Bengkulu, Jambi and Pekanbaru. These classical Malay words such asnianis used in Sumatran cities instead ofsangatorbanget(very).

• Nian-nian(classical Malay) -sangat(standard Indonesian) -banget(Indonesian slang)

Jakarta slang

JakartaincludingBotabekis the capital city of Indonesia with a population of more than 20 million people. Consequently, such a huge population will undoubtedly have a role in the Jakarta slang evolution. Much of the slang evolved from the Betawi dialect.

Some prominent examples:

• Ajé(from 'saja') - Only, just, from the Betawi dialect
• Ayé- I, me
• Bacot- Talk too much.
• Bang(from 'abang') - Slang form of address for elder males/ brother.
• Banget- Very, from the Betawi dialect
• Bégo(from 'bodoh') - Stupid, from the Betawi dialect
• Berapa duit?orBerapaan?- How much money/ how much is the cost?
• Bo'il(with aglottal stopbetweenoandi) - Car
• Bokap- Father
• Nyokap- Mother
• Bonyok- Mother and Father combined, also a slang which means a bruise.
• Nggak/Gak/Ga- Not
• Cabé- chili pepper (cabai)
• Capek- Tired (lelah)
• Kebon -Garden (kebun)
• Nyolot- Haughty, arrogant.
• Doang(from 'saja')- which means only, that's all
• Émangnya kenapa?- So what? / What does it matter?
• Gilé!(from 'gila')- An exclamation meaning crazy/insane/obscene, as emphasis to a sentence or phrase.
• Gua/Gué- I, Me, from the Betawi dialect
• Jayus(from'jail,usil') - Ignorant and nosy.
• Manyun- Someone with protruding lips, usually used to describe when someone is upset.
• Mécing- From English wordmatchingwhich means fitting.
• Busèt- A form of expression which is similar to "Oh My God" or "Alas" or "Holy shit!"
• Lu/Lo- You, from the Betawi dialect
• Pengen -Want (ingin)
• Kondangan- Invitation (undangan), usually a wedding invitation
• Gan/Agan- Boss, from Sundanese "juragan"
• GendutorGembrot- Fat
• Gombal- Crazy or, as another term, flirtatious words
• Sinting- Insane, a freak person.
• Yo'i- Yes, very cool.
• Guga- Juga, (also)
• Ngenlay- Kangen, although "kangen" is slang for rindu. (miss)
• Nyengnyong- Nyanyi, (singing)

The following words are taken from Hokkien (Fukkien) Chinese, and commonly used in transactions.

• Cepek- IDR 100
• Gopek- IDR 500
• Seceng- IDR 1000
• Cenggo- IDR 1500
• Goceng- IDR 5000
• Ceban- IDR 10.000
• Goban/Gocap- IDR 50.000
• Pego- IDR 150.000

However, many Indonesians of non-Chinese descent do not know the meaning of the transaction words above, probably with the exception of Goceng due to its usage onKFCIndonesia's advertising on their "Goceng" products, in which all "Goceng" menus are sold at the IDR 5000 price range. Sometimes the word "perak", literally "silver", is used to describe small denominations of currency.

South Jakarta slang

This slang is acode mixingbetween Indonesian andEnglish.It is named afterSouth Jakarta.Some iconic English words used in this slang includewhich is,like,literally,sometimes,basically,and some Indonesian words +-lyexp (jujurly). Code mixing with English does not only occur in Jakarta, but also in other major cities in Indonesia.

Negative sentiments on this slang caused this given the name "fart language" (Indonesian:bahasa kentut) by some.

Sundanese slang

In theWest JavaandBantenregion, the main place forSundanesespeakers, there are several words or phrases belonging to the slang language. This diversity of slang has its own peculiarities in each region in West Java Province.

Bandung slang

Bandungis the capital city ofWest Javaprovince with a predominantlySundanese culture.TheSundanese languagehas three levels or forms, namely: high (polite), middle class, and low (impolite). Bandung slang often uses the Low Sundanese pronouns along with the many other Sundanese translations of popular Indonesian.

Some examples:

• Uing(fromkuring) - I/me
• Didieu(fromdi dieu,actually mean 'here') - I/me
• Didinya(fromdi dinya,actually mean 'there') - You
• Euy- Sundanese particle in the end of the sentence to express excitement and surprise
• Da- Sundanese particle in the end of the sentence to express certainty and emphasizes the meaning, somehow similar to Japanese "desu".
• Sok- meaning 'pleasure'
• O'on(from Bolo'on) orOneng(from the name of a slow witted character in Sinetron Bajaj Bajuri) - stupid, dim witted
• Belegug- stupid
• Aslina- (from wordasli'real', plus a suffix-na) which is mean 'for real'.
• Anying- (from wordanjing,but change 'j' to 'y') which is mean 'fuck'
• Jangar -headache
• Stoppan- meaning transportation stop in 'traffic light'
• Aliran- meaning 'power outage'
• Kantong- meaning 'bag'

Bogor slang

Bogoris a city in the province ofWest Javawith the formerKingdom of Sunda Padjajaran,Bogor slang isSundanesewith its influence fromIndonesian languageand sometimes uses Sundanese with the word pronounced backwards.

Sukabumi slang

Sukabumislang the language is a non-standard variety ofSundanese languagethat is often used in Sukabumi,West Javain theTipararea, becauseWidalitself meansTipar.

ThisSaniorWidallanguage can also be called slang or slang in the Sundanese dialect, where the pronunciation of the letters in the consonants changes.

For example, the letter G becomes S, J becomes C, and 'ng' becomes 'ny' and so on.

Javanese slang

These slangs are shared acrossCentral JavaandYogyakartawhere Javanese is predominantly spoken. Like Sundanese which are spoken in Bandung, Javanese also has 3 different set of vocabularies, based on the politeness level. Common people usually talk with a mix between low-Javanese, middle-Javanese, and Indonesian. Some non-Javanese residents added their own dialects to the pot, resulting what is called the Central Java slang

Jogjakarta

Jogjakarta slang is also known asBasa Walikan,literally means'Reverse Language'[1].

It is a transformation of Javanese, in which Javanese consonants are switched with one another, as shown below:

• ha na ca ra ka ↔ pa dha ja ya nya
• da ta sa wa la ↔ ma ga ba tha nga

With the above rules, the expletive expressionMatamu!(which literally means: 'Your Eyes!') becomesDagadu!(also the name of a clothing brand). The following website automatically performs this transformation:Walikan Translator

Malang

A ribbon which readsOtos tahes,which means healthy soto in Walikan Malang language.

Malang slang is inverted alphabetical word (mostly fromJavaneseand little bit fromIndonesian). Commonly known inJavaneseasBoso Walikan Malang(Reversed:Osob Kiwalan Ngalam.Meaning: Malang's Reversed language). The slang started appearing sometime in 1949 when the people atMalang's Gerilya Rakyat Kota (GRK meaning City People'sGuerilla) needed a form of communication method that is unknown to the occupying Dutch intelligence (Both to theDutchman,and the recruited natives) while maintaining typical daily conversation. Thus, the idea to reverse Javanese and Indonesian words was born. The goal of the creation of the language is to maintain plan secrecy, prevent leakage of information, and to confuse the enemy.At First, the language was only known amongst the guerillas. Further adding the language's purpose as an identifier whether that person is a friend or foe. But after the Dutch retreated from the city, the language remained and becoming more widespread amongst the people of Malang and its surroundings. In recent years, the technique of reversing words has become more popular nationwide and played a role in creating modern Indonesian slang. Words such asNgab(From: Abang meaning 'Older Brother'),Sabi(From: Bisa meaning 'Be able to..' or 'Can') orKuy(From: Yuk meaning 'Let's go') owes credit to Malang's Reversed Language.

Examples:

Sam= Mas (Older brother. Javanese version of 'Abang' or 'Bang')

Ongis Nade=Singo Edan(the nickname ofArema Cronus F.C.)

Helum= Muleh (Go home)

Ublem= Mlebu (Enter)

Utem= Metu (Exit)

Ojob= Bojo (Husband/Wife)

Oges= Sego (Rice)

Rajajowas= Sawojajar (an area in Malang)

Oyoborus=Suroboyo

Ngalam=Malang

Kera Ngalam= Arek Malang (lit. The kid of Malang. Referring to The People of Malang)

Libom= Mobil (Car)

Nawak Ewed= Kawan Dewe (Your own Friend/s)

Silup= Pulis (Police(Although the Javanese word for police is the same as in Indonesian,Polisi.they altered the word slightly to make it less obvious))

Surabaya

As the second largest city in Indonesia and the capital ofEast Java,Surabayauses a rougher dialect of Javanese and has a fairly complete list of its own slang. Javanese language originated from the Central Javanese farmland and by the time it reached the coastal area of East Java, it changed from its original polite form into a more impolite version with the creation or further adaptation of many new 'Javanese-style' words and swearwords. One of the most notable Surabaya slang is the wordJancok.

Pontianak slang

Pontianakslang is influenced byMalay,TeochewandDayakand sometimes combined withHakka.It is spoken in the Malay dialect. These slang varieties are spoken throughoutWest Kalimantan.

Makassarese slang

Makassarese slang is highly influenced by the native Makassarese dialect and sometimes combined with Chinese accents. The slang, in the end, sounds more informal and 'rude', as going with the tough image of Makassarese people. The possessive word foryou(kamu) has three degrees of politeness: -ta(very formal and respectful),-mu(neutral), and-nu(informal). For example:

• This book belongs to you→ Buku ini punya-ta(the - reads as a glottal stop, which makes it punya'ta. In Makassarese dialect, the apostrophe is sometimes added in written form). Buku ini punya'mu is deemed more neutral, whileBuku ini punya'nuis only spoken with very close friends.

Meanwhile, the word foryouitself is divided into two, the formalkiand the informalko.

• 'Di manamaki'(Where are you now) as opposed to informal 'Di manamoko'.The-maand-moderives from the-miwhich is often added in the end of words, having various meanings. It is hard to determine when to usemior not, except to learn it by heart.

Inimi?-> 'This one?' Biarkanmi-> 'Let it go' Ko sudah belajarmi?-> 'Have you studied?'.Koderives from the informal Indonesian wordKau,which stands for 'you'. Sudah dimulaimiitu ulangan? -> 'Has the exam started?', literally, 'Has-been started-the exam?'

Jiis also often used in the end of words. Most often, it means 'only', or used to give a more assuring tone to a sentence.

• Sedikitji-> 'It's only a little'
• Tidak apa-apaji-> 'It's okay'
• Tidak susahjisoalnya -> 'The problem isn't difficult.'

Difunctions more like a question tag, read with a glottal stop at the end, which makes it to be 'dik'

• Tidak susahjidi?? -> It's not difficult, right?

Aside from that, Makassarese more often speak with a heavier accent, mixing many of the Indonesian words with native Makassar words.

• Tena ku issengi apa maksudnya(or even more complicatedTena ku issengi apa massu'na) -> Literally, "No I understand what its meaning", actually meaning, "I don't understand what it means". In places, Makassarese slangs add-iat the end of words, putting a glottal stop before that. Furthermore, the words tend to be shortened considerably, which makes-nyaread as-naand words ending with-dor-tgets its ending replaced with glottal stops.Menyusut(shrinking) becomesmenyusuk,and vice versa. Native Makassar people usually readsbecak(pedicab) asbecat.

Gallery

• 
  The bookletJANGAN NGUTIP DARI WIKIPEDIA!using a content with slang terms on it.

See also

• Language families and languages
• Demographics of Indonesia
• British slang
• Cant (language)
• Patois
• Argot
• Slang
• Language game
• Cantonese internet slang,the similar phonemon of Indonesian slang.
• Alay
• Bahasa Rojak

References

• Harimurti Kridalaksana(2008). Kamus Linguistik (4 ed.). Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama.ISBN978-979-22-3570-8.

External links

• (in Indonesian)Indonesian Slang Online Dictionarywith user-contributed definitions
• SEASite guide to pronunciation of IndonesianArchived2014-06-16 at theWayback Machine
• (in Indonesian)Pusatbahasa: Bahasa prokem
• (in Indonesian)Kitab Gaul- Kamus bahasa gaul Indonesia, cari dan temukan arti kata-kata gaul terkini
• Indonesian Slang Tutorial by Fairy
• (in Indonesian)Teen Language in Teen LiteratureArchived2005-05-25 at theWayback Machine
• Slang Particles in Indonesian Language