cirebon cullinary 
Language is the way humans communicate with each other, whether through spoken words, writing, or signalling. Through language, people can convey their feelings, thoughts, and desires, and understand each other. Each region or group usually has its distinctive language or way of speaking, and it becomes an essential part of its identity and culture. Especially the Cirebon Javanese language in Keraton village. The community, until now, still maintains the Cirebon Javanese language, because most of the people are native Cirebon people. However, this Cirebon language was formed due to the combination of Javanese and Sundanese as well as the influence of Malay, Arabic, and Chinese. But in the Keraton Village, it uses Javanese.
Through conversations with older community members in the 45-60 age group and the younger generation aged 20-30. There is a slight difference in speech and language between the younger generation and the older generation. The language used by the older generation still uses the language of the past, or the thick Cirebon Javanese language. The language spoken by the younger generation is slightly different because the modern Indonesian language has influenced the younger generation. And because they mostly go to school in the city.
The difference in the use of local languages between the older generation and the younger generation is quite striking in everyday life. The older generation generally grew up in an environment thick with local languages. Since childhood, they have used the language at home, in the community, and during various traditional activities. For them, local languages are not only a means of communication but also a symbol of identity, respect, and cultural values. In contrast, the younger generation is more exposed to Indonesian and foreign languages, both at school and on social media.
In Keraton Village, both the younger and older generations still value and use local languages as part of their cultural heritage. They realise the importance of preserving the local language and making it a shared identity. The use of local languages remains alive in daily life and is considered relevant to the times.
In the midst of globalisation, learning foreign languages such as English, Mandarin, or other languages is essential and very beneficial for the future. Foreign languages open up wider opportunities in education, career, and international association. However, that does not mean we should forget our local languages. Instead, as the younger generation. We have an essential role to play in maintaining and preserving our cultural heritage through language. There is nothing wrong with being fluent in a foreign language. As long as we also remain proud to use our local language.
That way, we can be a balanced generation – able to compete at the global level without losing our local cultural roots. Don’t be afraid to learn many languages, because each language brings its perspective, values, and richness. To better understand the diversity of Cirebon Javanese in Keraton Village, it is also essential to look at the differences in terms of phonology, morphology, and lexicon.
Phonological Variation
Phonology is a branch of linguistics that studies the sounds in a language. Mainly how they are pronounced, used, and distinguished in communication. For example, there is a difference in the pronunciation of letters or syllables between Indonesian and Cirebon Javanese. From interviews with villagers, we found several examples of Indonesians switching to Cirebon Javanese, which are as follows:
Abu – Awu: the letter changes from b to w
Apa – Apo: the vowel changes from a to o
Asap – Asep: the vowel changes from a to e
Batu – Watu: the letter changes from b to w
Benar – bener: the vowel changes from a to e
Bulan – Wulan: the letter changes from b to w
Bulu – Wulu: the letter changes from b to w
Busuk – Bosok: the vowel changes from u to o
These are all phonological changes that do not change the the pronunciation meaning. But only Socio-cultural factors also play a role, where phonological variations reflect local identity and characterise a community. Even within the Javanese language itself, differences in speech level such as ngoko and krama also affect the shape of word sounds. All these changes are not a form of deviation, but rather a natural part of the dynamics of a language that continues to evolve with its environment and speakers.
Morphological Variation
Morphology is the study of word form and structure, including how words are formed from smaller units called morphemes (such as prefixes, suffixes, or root words). For example, the word ‘ngomong’ comes from the morpheme ‘omong’ (root word), which is given the prefix ‘ng-’, forming the meaning of the action of speaking. Based on the data I collected through interviews with Keraton villagers, namely from Indonesian to Cirebon Javanese, many words have changed due to additions such as ‘m-‘, ‘ng-’, ‘ngu’, and ‘nga’, as follows:
Alir – Ngalir: the prefix “ng”, forming active verbs, means flow
Bakar – Mbakar: the prefix “m-“ forming active verbs, means burning
Balik – Ngualik: the prefix “ngu”, forming active verbs, means flipping
Berjalan – Mlaku: the prefix “m-“ forming active verbs, means walking
Berdiri – Ngadeg: the prefix “nga“ and the Javanese word ‘adeg’, forming active
verbs, means to stand up
These changes are not only phonological, but also reflect the distinctive grammatical structure of the Javanese language, which is rich in variations of word forms. Javanese morphology shows how language develops naturally through speech habits, communication needs, and social and cultural influences inherent in people’s daily lives.
Lexical Variation
Lexical is related to the vocabulary or choice of words used in a language. It means that different words are used to refer to the same thing in other places. For example, the word ‘ikan teri’ in Indonesian may be called ‘peyek’ in one region or ‘rebon’ in Cirebon.
Air – Banyu
Akar – Oyod
Anak – Bocah
Anjing – Kirik
Api – Geni
Ayah – Mama
Bagaimana – Kepriben
Banyak – Akeh
Baru- Anyar
Berat – Abot
Cium – Ambung
Cuci – Basuh
Dan – katik
Daun – Godong
Dengar – Krungu
Engkau – Siro
Garam – Uyo
Gigit – Cokot
Jatuh – Tibo
Kepala – Endas
Kutu – Tumo
Leher – Gulu
Ludah – Idu
Main – Dolan
Makan – Mangan
Orang – Wong
Panjang – Dawo
Perut – Weteng
Rumput – Suket
Saya – Isun
Semua – Kabeh
Takut – Wedi
Tebal – Kandel
Ular – Ulo
Vocabulary differences between Indonesian and Javanese, such as air-banyu, anak-bocah, or saya-isun, occur due to lexical variations that develop from different historical, cultural, and social backgrounds. Javanese languages, including the Cirebonan dialect, have their roots and structures that were formed long before Indonesian became the national language. Each regional language develops naturally in the midst of its speaking community, resulting in a distinctive vocabulary that often has no direct equivalent in Indonesian. In addition, cultural factors strongly influence word choice, as many Javanese
terms in Keraton village contain deeper contextual meanings or emotional nuances in accordance with local values. These lexical differences also serve as social identity, indicating regional origin, level of familiarity, and even social status in communication. Because they are passed down orally from generation to generation, regional vocabularies continue to experience unique developments, creating a diversity of languages that become the cultural wealth of the Indonesian nation.
All these language variations are born from the process of oral inheritance, local cultural influences, and social functions in shaping identity and relationships between individuals. This diversity remains an important part of people’s lives, along with the use of Indonesian and foreign languages. Therefore, it is important to remain open to learning foreign languages, but still maintain a balance by preserving local languages. Local languages are not only a means of communication, but also a cultural heritage that holds values, stories and identity.
Documentation efforts, informal education, and active use in daily life are key to keeping language variations such as those in Keraton Village alive and recognised by future generations.
