Proverbs are expressions representing views and values in creating harmonious and
successful life. This paper is to investigate the local wisdom in Javanese proverbs. Nonparticipant
observation method with note-taking technique is used to collect the data. To
analyze the data, I used distributional, identity, and inferencial methods. From the analysis, I
found that there are some values among other things related with the Javanese views on social
and cultural diversity, self control and management in individual, social, and spiritual life.
There are four levels of meaning the proverbs convey, i.e literal, cognitive, literary, and
cultural, since they represent concepts for conceptualizing. The concepts are related with
nature, body organ, building, motion, space, visual experience, habit, cosmology, number,
family relationship, country, God, container, shape. This implies that language in this case
Javanese proverbs can preserve human’s experiences and habits that may lose in another
decade due to social dynamicity and natural changes. The loss may happen along with the
loss of the language. Therefore, there must be some efforts to preserve the language upholding
them
