Javanese

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A language of Indonesia

ISO 639-3
jav
Alternate Names
Djawa, Jawa
Population

84,300,000 in Indonesia (2000 census). 25,000 in south Sulawesi, and 69,000,000 on Java, 500,000 of them being in Banten region and 2,500,000 in Cirebon region of Java. Population total all countries: 84,308,740.

Location

Central Java Province, east third of west Java island, southwest half of east Java, including Banyumas, Cilacap, and Purbalingga regencies. Resettlements in Papua, Sulawesi, Maluku, Kalimantan, and Sumatra. Also in Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapore, United States.

Language Maps
Language Status

2 (Provincial). De facto provincial language in central and eastern Java.

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Javanese
Dialects

Banten, Banyumas, Cirebon (Cheribon, Tjirebon), Indramayu, Malang-Pasuruan, Manuk, Pasisir, Surabaya, Surakarta (Sawlaw, Solo), Tegal, Tembung. High Javanese (Jawa Halus) is the language of religion, but users diminishing and mostly limited to Central Javanese speakers. Javanese varieties in Suriname and in New Caledonia now only partially intelligible with difficulty. Javanese in New Caledonia reportedly cannot use High Javanese (Koentjaraninggrat 1971). Several dialects in Sabah.

Typology

SVO

Language Development
Fully developed. Bible: 1854–1994.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Javanese
Writing
Javanese script, no longer in use. Latin script.
Other Comments

Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

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