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| Cultural researcher and author Abdul Chaer says young people should not be blamed for lacking awareness of Betawi language and culture. (JG Photo/Ade Mardiyati) |
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At 71,
Betawi researcher and author Abdul Chaer still persists in his quest to put
together the pieces of the nearly-extinct language and culture of his ethnic
group.
Apart from
publishing books about Indonesian culture, Bang (big brother) Chaer, as he is
known by many, has also written a book on Betawi language and culture. He said
he feels the need to “document it, because it will be replaced by a new
language.”
The book,
which will be published in the near future, includes Betawi idioms, jokes and
folklore.
“A lot of
young Betawi people don’t know the meanings or haven’t even heard of some of
the words that we, the older generation, know and still use. For example, words
like ‘teisi’ which means teaspoon, or ‘sundung’ which refers to the yoke one uses
to carry grass,” said Chaer, who teaches Indonesian language at universities.
“But [the
younger generation] can’t be blamed for not knowing a lot of words in Betawi
because they live in the present Jakarta, where people from different ethnic
groups and nations come and live, and contribute to the creation of an informal
Indonesian dialect, which is widely used,” he added.
Chaer said
that it is possible that the Betawi language might disappear in the future, but
that small things, like prefixes, suffixes, and pronouns, such as elo (you) and
gue (me), would remain and be combined with words in Indonesian and other
languages.
“But this
should not be seen as a threat [to the Betawi language]. This is reality. A lot
of native languages are replaced with new ones because they no longer have
speakers,” he said. “That is why I believe documenting Betawi words can, at
least, prolong their existence.”
Growing up
in an educated and devoted Muslim family, Chaer seems like the unlikely
defender of a language that is known to include words that are often considered
offensive or rude.
“For words
to be considered offensive or rude, it depends on the surrounding society,” he
said. “Among the Betawis, words such as bini [wife] is a normal word, but that
might not be same for other cultures.”
Chaer was
born and has lived in Jakarta all of his life, making him an eyewitness to the
city’s evolution.
“A long
time ago, long before Jalan Sudirman was built to connect Menteng and
Kebayoran, sometime in 1948 or 1949, the area was a kampung [village]. People
had farmlands and harvested various fruits. And on what used to be my
grandfather’s land, a huge bank building [now] stands,” he said. “In the areas
where the Betawis live, you can’t really find the native people. They are gone.
Everything has changed.”
Since 1975,
Chaer has published 30 books, including dictionaries and other linguistic
materials for university students.
On a huge
wooden shelf in his living room, Chaer has neatly organized all of the books he
has written. They sit next to his extensive collection of works written by
other writers.
Many of his
books have been used as academic references by foreign students and researchers
overseas, mainly in the Netherlands and in the United Kingdom.
“I remember
in February 1977, I attended an event at the University of London. A student
recognized my name as I was writing it down on the guest book and she asked if
I was the same guy who wrote the Jakarta dialect dictionary published a few
months earlier. She told me she had used it for her Malay literature studies. I
was so happy and proud when she told me that,” he said. “Later on, more and
more people said similar things, telling me they have read or used my books as
references. It just feels so good every time someone tells me such a thing.”
Chaer said
when he writes a book, or gathers words, stories, jokes or legends, he does not
think about whether they will sell well after they are published.
“What is
more important to me is the fact that I can have a place to transfer all of the
things in my head and finish the projects,” he said. “It makes me feel happy
and content every time a new book of mine comes out. I hardly think about how
many are sold. Although, of course, it would be better if I sell a lot of books
so I can earn more, but really, I am happy enough to finally see [the final
product].”
In his
twilight years, Chaer said he was happy to be kept occupied with writing more
books and teaching.
At his
quiet home in East Jakarta, he often receives students who need tutorials for
their thesis. His wife, Hafsah Oya, said that when students come to visit, the
house becomes lively.
“We are
happy to have them here,” said Hafsah.
Despite the
dozens of books he has written and published, Chaer said he does not think he
has done enough, and that drives him to keep learning.
“There are
still a lot of things I want to do. My inspirations come from many places —
people in the streets, government regulations, the news and much more,” he
said.
For his
decades of hard work and devotion to preserving Betawi language and culture,
the father of two has gained recognition, including from Jakarta governor Fauzi
Bowo last year. In 2002 he was granted the “Etnikom Award” from a radio
association that covers South Sumatra, Banten, Jakarta and West Java.
“But don’t
call me budayawan [cultural observer]” he said. “There is still a lot to do to
deserve that title.”
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