Javindo, also known by the

pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...

name Krontjong, is a Dutch-based creole language spoken on

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, such as

Semarang Semarang (Javanese script, Javanese: , ''Kutha Semarang'') is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Netherlands, Dutch Dutch East Indies, colonial era, and is still an important regio ...

. The name Javindo is a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of ''Java'' and '' Indo'', the Dutch word for a person of mixed Indonesian and Dutch descent. This contact language developed from communication between Javanese-speaking mothers and Dutch-speaking fathers in Indo families. Its main speakers were Indo-Eurasian people. Its grammar was based on Javanese, and its vocabulary was based on the Dutch lexicon but pronounced in a Javanese manner. It shows simplification of morphological verb system from Javanese grammar such as merging verb class, disappearance of verbal subcategories. It should not be confused with Petjo, a different Dutch- and Malay-based creole also spoken by Indo-Eurasians. With the loss of the generation that lived in the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

era, that language has almost died out, but it become identity for '' Indo'' descent. In contrast, the colonial society saw the creole languages as a corrupted Dutch which should be corrected as quickly as possible.

Writing system

Javindo is written using

Latin script The Latin script, also known as the Roman script, is a writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greek city of Cumae in Magna Graecia. The Gree ...

, specifically

Dutch orthography Dutch orthography uses the Latin alphabet. The spelling system is issued by government decree and is compulsory for all government documentation and educational establishments. Legal basis In the Netherlands, the official spelling is regulated ...

Grammar

Even though most of the lexicon is derived from Dutch, the grammar of the language is mostly of Javanese origin, including elements such as morphology; lack of verbs; no past tense; no

finite verb A finite verb is a verb that contextually complements a subject, which can be either explicit (like in the English indicative) or implicit (like in null subject languages or the English imperative). A finite transitive verb or a finite intra ...

.Willems, Wim ''Sporen van een Indisch verleden (1600–1942).'', Part III by de Gruiter, V.E. (COMT, Leiden, 1994) P.150 The inherited feature of Javindo from Javanese is the non-actor-oriented verb morphology. * The actor-oriented in Javindo shows similarity to the Dutch construct as there is no nasal prefix morpheme such as in Javanese. * The suffix ''-i'' indicates transitive verb similar to Javanese, but only happens on construct with morpheme ''taq'' or ''koq''. * The suffix ''-(s)ke'' shows indirect-relational value with possibility of causative value. For example, ''jij'' ''taq doenske'' means "I do (it) for you" from Dutch ''doen'' "to do". * Actor preceded ''taq'' (sometimes written as tak- or ta`) and ''koq'' constructs, but it is not expressed with prefix ''di-'' (such as ''jij digoendoeli'' 'you are cut bald') and prefix ''ke-'' (such as ''ketjeklik mijn enkel'' 'my angkle has been strained'). Sometimes, prefix ''ke-'' is combined with non-obligatory suffix ''-an''. The difference between construct with prefix ''di-'' and prefix ''ke-'' is the difference on non-accidental nature vs accidental nature. * Reduplication shows iterative, intensive, or conative value. * Dutch influence in non-actor-oriented sentence manifests as usage of passive auxiliary verb (such as ''worden'' or ''zijn'') and past participle or usage of past participle only.

Writing system

Grammar

Notes

Further reading