O-Javanese spelling

O-Javanese, O-Jawa or O-Spelling is a phenomenon that is caused by contradiction between standard Javanese spelling and standard Indonesian spelling (EYD). In standard Indonesian spelling word "a" can only pronounced /a/, while in standard Javanese spelling word "a" have two tone, i.e. /a/ and /ɔ/. in consequence, the Indonesian words that borrowed from Javanese that have syntax "a" on its writings usually pronounced /a/ although in Javanese its pronounced /ɔ/. Hence, the words "a" that pronounced /o/ become written as "o" to simplify for readers that are not from Javanese background.

For example:

• Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono if written by standard Javanese spelling should be Susila Bambang Yudhayana, while Surabaya pronounced /Surɔbɔjɔ/
• Hamengkubuwono/Hamengkubuwana
• Mangkunegoro/Mangkunegara

Usages

This O-Javanese spelling is applied to most standard Javanese in several Javanese dialects such as Blora, Kedu, Madiun, Eastern Northern-coast, Pekalongan, Semarangan, Arekan, Mataram, Tenggerese and Osing. But O-Javanese spelling is not applied and the usages are very rare in the vocabulary of Banyumasan,^[1] Western Northern-coast, Bantenese,^[2] Dermayon, and Cirebonese.

Notable Javanese names written in O-spelling

• Jaka Widada, current President of Indonesia, former Governor of Jakarta and former Mayor of Surakarta.
• Prabawa Subiyanta, Indonesian politician.
• Suharta, second president of Indonesia.
• Sukarna, founder and first president of Indonesia.

See also

• Javanese language
• Javanese script

References

1. kecuali sebagian kecil kosa kata angka, misal 19 dituturkan songolas tidak sangalas.
2. lebih tepatnya akhiran /a/ dibaca e, lih: sira dibunyikan sire