Cirebon historical tourism 
Nuralizah – Local languages are one of the cultural treasures that enrich the identity of a society. Mertasinga Javanese language and local identity continue to thrive in Mertasinga Village, Gunung Jati Sub-district, where residents proudly use Javanese in their daily lives.
In the midst of changing times and technological developments, Mertasinga residents are still proud to maintain Javanese as their primary means of communication.
The Javanese language used in this village has its characteristics, combining elements of Cirebonan Javanese and unique local nuances. In various daily activities such as trading in the market, cooperation, and traditional events, this language is not only a means of communication, but also a symbol of the identity of the Mertasinga community.
Vocabulary List Reflecting Mertasinga Javanese Language and Local Identity
| No | Indonesian | Javanese |
|---|
| 1 | Abu | Awu |
| 2 | Air | Banyu |
| 3 | Akar | Oyod |
| 4 | Anak | Boco |
| 5 | Apa | Apo |
| 6 | Api | Geni |
| 7 | Ayah | Mamak |
| 8 | Bagaimana | Kepriben |
| 9 | Baik | Baik |
| 10 | Banyak | Ake |
(The list reaches 200 words – see documentation of Mertasinga Village’s cultural vocabulary.)
This list highlights the Mertasinga Javanese language and local identity as preserved in everyday expressions. Interestingly, some terms have even shifted in pronunciation and meaning according to the local context. For example, the word “Air”, which in Javanese is called “Banyu”, not only refers to drinking water, but also to any form of liquid in daily life. The term “Tangan”, which is still called “Tangan” in Javanese, has a different intonation that shows the closeness between speakers.
To understand how Indonesian and Javanese differ in the local context, we can examine three essential aspects of linguistics:
Phonology (sounds)
Morphology (word forms)
Lexical (word choice)
Phonology (Fonologi)
Phonology is the study of language sounds. In Mertasinga Village, there are many simple sound changes from Indonesian to Javanese.
Examples of phonological changes:
| Indonesian | Javanese | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Abu | Awu | Change of “b” sound → “w” |
| Apa | Apo | Final “a” vowel becomes “o” |
| Air | Banyu | Completely different sound, but typical pronunciation of “banyu” |
| Ayah | Mamak | Full sound change, “Ayah” → “mamak” |
| Datang | Teko | Suffix changes from -ang to -o |
| Hidung | Cungur | “Hi” changes to “Cu” at the beginning |
| Ikan | Iwak | Change of “kan” sound → “wak” |
| Ini | Kien | Additional ‘k’ sound in front |
| Itu | Kuen | Final sound changes |
| Tidak | Oro | Total sound changes |
Morphology (Morfologi)
Morphology is the study of word forms and word formation. The Mertasinga community shows many typical morphological forms, such as changes due to affixes.
Examples of morphological changes:
| Indonesian | Javanese | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Alir (Me-) | Ngalir | Addition of prefix “ng-“ |
| Apung (Me-) | Ngambang | Prefix “ng-“ |
| Belah (Me-) | Nyigar, Mbelo | Prefix “ny-“, “m-“ |
| Berjalan | Mlaku | Prefix “m-” di “mlaku” (jalan) |
| Buru (Ber-) | Ngebolang | Prefix “nge-“ |
| Bunuh (Me-) | Mateni | Suffix “-i” (causative) |
| Cuci | Wesu, bebasu | morphological variation |
| Gali | Ngeduk | Prefix “nge-“ |
| Hantam | Nggebug | Prefix “ng-“ |
| Tarik | Narik | Assimilated prefix “na-“ |
| Tertawa | Gemuyu, Ngekek | Prefix “nge-” for verbs |
Lexical (Leksikal)
Lexical relates to the choice of vocabulary used. In Mertasinga, many words differ completely between Indonesian and Javanese.
Examples of lexical differences:
| Indonesian | Javanese | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Ayah | Mamak | The word “mamak” is more like ‘Bapak’ in the local context |
| Ibu | Mimi | “Mimi” is the equivalent of ‘Ibu’, different from the common |
| Anjing | Kirik | “Kirik” is specific to small dogs in the language of bebasan, but kirik is still in the daily Javanese language for both small and large dogs. |
| Binatang | Satoan | Common word choice is different |
| Sungai | Kali | “Kali” is more specific than the common “sungai” |
| Laut | Segaro | “Segaro” pointing to the sea in a cultural context |
| Dingin | Atis | “Atis” not just cold, but also ‘adem’ (cool) |
| Dekat | Parek | “Parek,” It’s not just physical proximity, it can be social |
| Orang | Wong, Uwong | Two lexical variants for humans |
| Tahun | Taun | Local word choice of “tahun” |
The use of these words reflects the strength of The Mertasinga Javanese language and local identity in community life.
