Through the Eyes of Researcher: Balinese Language

Here is an interesting piece of writing on Balinese language which is taken from Scott A Johnsen’s thesis which is entitled From Royal House to Nation: The Construction of Hinduism and Balinese Ethnicity In Indonesia:

A man from Denpasar explained to me the rise in importance of the Balinese language: “It used to be taboo to use too much Balinese in school, but now, because of regional autonomy, people use more Balinese. Balinese is the mother language (basa Ibu), [we] can’t forget.” Most people in Bangli told me that a renewed sense of the importance of preserving the Balinese language began in the 1980s. A number of radio shows use only Balinese; the host of one such show, Warung Bali, has said that this is intended specifically to increase the use of the local language. The Balinese government has made a number of efforts to expand the use of Balinese, including designating certain days as “Balinese language days” at offices.

These attempts to make Balinese the equal of the national language, Indonesian, have led to some interesting attempts to invent Balinese terms for things that could only be expressed in Indonesian. I was taught to say “good morning/afternoon/night” in Balinese (rahajeng semeng/sore/wengi), in phrasings copied from Indonesian models. Some people in Bangli found this very amusing, because these are high language forms heard mostly in media; they still sound forced to many Balinese. Brahmana priest Gunung, head of HC-Bali, has a good time making fun of such new Balinese words and phrases by making up his own:

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