Browsing results for Javanese

(2013) Javanese – Traditional values

Murtisari, Elisabet Titik (2013). Some traditional Javanese values in NSM: From God to social interaction. International Journal of Indonesian Studies, 1, 110-125. PDF (open access)

This paper examines a number of central traditional Javanese values in social interaction and explicates some of them into cultural scripts using the Natural Semantics Metalanguage (NSM). It is shown how intricate Javanese notions, such as narimo ‘accepting’ and ethok-ethok ‘dissimulation’, may be effectively described using simple vocabulary without lacking in rigour, which can be very helpful for outsiders to understand more about Javanese culture.

Note: Murtisari’s explication of ethok-ethok is offered as an improvement on an explication of the same term by Wierzbicka, who spells it as éṭok-éṭok.


Approximate application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner

(2016) Javanese – Perception verbs

Setiawan, Risky Hendra (2016). Semantic analysis on Javanese perception verbs. BA(Hons) thesis, Diponegoro University, Semarang (Indonesia). PDF (open access)

Partially published as:

Setiawan, Risky Hendra (2017). Semantic analysis on Javanese perception verbs. Lantern, 6(1).

The use and meaning of perception verbs (i.e. verbs of seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling and touching) differs from one language to another; these verbs have their own characteristics and uniqueness. This study aims to describe the exact meaning of perception verbs in Javanese. It relies on purposive sampling to retrieve data from Javanese language dictionaries and magazines as well as on the author’s intuition as a native speaker. The prime meanings SEE, THINK, WANT, KNOW, HEAR, DO, and HAPPEN are used to explicate the meaning of each of the verbs.


Approximate application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner

(2017) Javanese – Perception verbs

Setiawan, Risky Hendra (2017). Semantic analysis on Javanese perception verbs. Lantern, 6(1). PDF (open access)

Based on:

Setiawan, Risky Hendra (2016). Semantic analysis on Javanese perception verbs. BA(Hons) thesis, Diponegoro University, Semarang (Indonesia).

The use and meaning of perception verbs (i.e. verbs of seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling and touching) differs from one language to another; these verbs have their own characteristics and uniqueness. This study aims to describe the exact meaning of perception verbs in Javanese. It relies on purposive sampling to retrieve data from Javanese language dictionaries and magazines as well as on the author’s intuition as a native speaker. The prime meanings SEE, THINK, WANT, KNOW, HEAR, DO, and HAPPEN are used to explicate the meaning of each of the verbs.


Approximate application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner

(2017) Javanese (Old) – Speech act verbs

Ratna Erawati, Ni Ketut & Ngurah Sulibra, I Ketut (2017). Speech act verb in Old Javanese: Natural Semantics Metalanguage analysis. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 4(2), 71-80. PDF (open access)

Based on their semantic components, verbs in Old Javanese are classified into states, processes, and actions. Speech verbs are a subtype of the latter. In this paper, they are analysed with the help of NSM theory. Based on the analysis of the speech verbs included, we can see that  each of them reflects two important components of semantics (dictum and illocutionary purpose) that show similar overall meaning but subtle differences from one verb to another.

The speech act verbs included belong to the following general categories: ask, reply, request, tell, promise, call, scold, persuade, advise, discuss, complain, accuse, entertain, mock, berate.


Crude application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner