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Preface

This dictionary is a pale reflection of the linguistic reality that is the Javanese language. The description to be found here fails to do justice to the richness of expression of the speech of ordinary people as they go about their daily lives, or of the dalang as he weaves his wonderful tales through the night, not to mention the wealth of the literary classics. It only scratches the surface.

Quite apart from the task of sharpening the definitions of words already listed, there is also a vast amount of work waiting to be done by students in the field and in the libraries, so that in due time a more complete tool can be offered to those who wish to become better acquainted with the civilization of Java in its various aspects.

When the idea of a new dictionary of Modern Javanese was mentioned in the presence of Romo Zoetmulder one day in his library at the Pasturan Kumetiran, he warned that it would be a very difficult project to complete. But his warning went unheeded. The needs of students with little or no Dutch had always impressed themselves, and it seemed not too difficult to use the existing works—reviewed, refined and added to—in order to produce a work sufficiently broad and practical.

Now that this tool is ready, we can only offer it to the public in the hope that it will prove useful and fulfil a need.

Grateful record is made of the contributions of:

• Romo RJ. Zoetmulder, for upholding a high ideal of scholarship in Javanese lexicography;

• Th. Pigeaud, for providing a solid basis with his dictionary that has stood the test of time, and

• Elinor C. Home, for being the first to attempt the task of creating a Javanese-English dictionary;

• The families of Bapak B. Suhardjo in Muntilan, and of the late Bapak S. Kibat Notowihardjo in Sleman, for their loving acceptance of someone interested in all kinds of Javanese words;

• Pak Singgih and Bu Titiek, for being willing to spend three years of their lives in Melbourne on the project;

• The Australian Research Council, for its generous funding, without which nothing would have been possible;

• Raymond Weisling, for showing a sincere interest and giving encouragement to publish;

• Yacinta Kurniasih, whose excellent help has substantially improved the quality of the work and whose feeling for Javanese is quite remarkable;

• Eric Oey, for being willing to take on the publication of a Javanese dictionary;

• And all the others who have assisted with information or advice.

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