5 research outputs found
Maritime Indonesia and the Archipelagic Outlook; Some Reflections From a Multidisciplinary Perspective on Old Port Cities in Java
The present paper reflects on Indonesia\u27s status as an archipelagic state and a maritime nation from a historical perspective. It explores the background of a multi-year research project into Indonesia\u27s maritime past currently being undertaken at the Humanities Faculty of Universitas Indonesia. The multidisciplinary research uses toponymy, epigraphy, philology, and linguistic lines of analysis in examining old inscriptions and manuscripts and also includes site visits to a number of old port cities across the archipelago. We present here some of the core concepts behind the research such as the importance of the ancient port cities in a network of maritime trade and diplomacy, and link them to some contemporary issues such as the Archipelagic Outlook. This is based on a concept of territorial integrity that reflects Indonesia\u27s national identity and aspirations. It is hoped that the paper can extend the discussion about efforts to make maritime affairs a strategic geopolitical goal along with restoring Indonesia\u27s identity as a maritime nation
Ubiquitous Place Names Standardization and Study in Indonesia
Place names play a vital role in human society. Names exist in all languages and place names are an indispensible part of International communication. This has been acknowledged by the establishment of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN). One of UNGEGN's tasks is to coordinate International efforts on the proper use of place names. Indonesia supports this effort and through its National Geospatial Agency (BIG). Place names are also of interest as an object of study in themselves. Academic studies into place names are found in linguistics, onomastics, philosophy and a number of other academic disciplines. This article looks at these two dimensions of place names, standardization efforts under the auspices of International and national bodies, and academic studies of names, with particular reference to the situation in Indonesia
Reevaluasi Konsep Pemilah Bahasa dan Dialek untuk Bahasa Nusantara
Even today, there is disagreement among experts over how many languages and dialects there are in Indonesia. The methodological tools for classifying languages consist of mapping isoglosses, dialectometry, and measures of mutual intelligibility. The present article surveys the methodology used in N = 129 researches performed over the last 50 years and finds that researchers based their conclusions about languages and dialects predominantly on isoglosses while dialectometry and mutual intelligibility were much less used. It is also suggested that these three research methods be reevaluated in the light of the multilingual situation in Indonesia. We could possibly get better results with the isogloss method if we reconsidered the criteria for degree of sound similarity and the criteria for bundling isoglosses. For dialectometry, we should consider modifying the current percentages used to distinguish language-dialect divisions. For establishing mutual intelligibility, the factors that could be reassessed include techniques of testing, the procedures for choosing test-points and reference-points, and the criteria for choosing valid texts for testing.