Javanese is a rich and complex language spoken by over a hundred million people in east and central Java, and by Javanese immigrants to other, less. densely populated regions of the Indonesian archipelago. It is by far the most commonly spoken regional language of this fourth most populous nation in the world. It has profoundly influenced the development of the Indonesian national language, bahasa Indonesia, which has incorporate many elements of Javanese syntax and vocabulary.

It is also common for Javanese and other Indonesians to use untranslated Javanese words and expressions when speaking or writing modern Indonesian. Some knowledge of Javanese is, therefore, essential for those who would claim to know Indonesian well. This work contains more than sixteen-hundred translated Javanese proverbs and idiomatic expressions.

One important feature is that its scope is not restricted to polite forms of speech. It also includes proverbs and expressions that Javanese and others understand as crude, or even vulgar. Their inclusion reflects a concern with the language of the people (wong cilik) that scholars have all too often ignored. Moreover, these common expressions are used by Javanese of all social positions when addressing subordinates.

Dr. Peter Suwarno�teacher, writer, translator, and native speaker of Javanese�brings a unique set of qualifications to the preparation of work. Having consulted a variety of informants and concerned himself with the ways in which Javanese proverbs are used both in Indonesian political discourse and by the Indonesian press, he has made the results available in an easily readable form for scholars and students concerned not only with the language of Java, but with all things Javanese and Indonesian.
Mark R. Woodward Arizona State University Gadjah Mada University Press