Everyday use of regional languages : WaMod

Getting to know the characteristics of the West Java region to get to know it better

Of course,  there are  characteristics of  the West Java region,  which you need to know more closely in order to get to know this province more closely. As we know, West Java is one of the provinces that attract a lot of attention, where the capital, Bandung, is a tourist destination for a variety of people.

There are certainly interesting things in this province that many people look forward to holidaying in that place.   For those of you who want to get to know this place better, you should be aware of some of the characteristics that belong to places where each region in Indonesia has different characteristics.

By knowing these characteristics,  you can get to know this region in more depth. Combined with knowing its characteristics, you can know that all the regions in Indonesia are very unique.  Here are some characteristics of the West Java region,   and you need to know where to distinguish this province from the others.

Of course, this trait is known not only by outsiders, but also by tribal people from West Java. Moreover, there are many districts in this province that have their own uniqueness. So it’s sad that as an Indonesian citizen you are not aware of the uniqueness of each region.

Moreover, the characteristics of West Java are not only based on culture, but also in its cuisine. With such information, you can find out that Indonesian culture and cuisine are very rich.

But what is most unfortunate is that many young people don’t even know anything about Indonesia and the area where they live alone. If this condition is left unchecked, the younger generation will lose their love for their country.

Everyday use of regional languages

One of the characteristics of the West Java region is the use of its regional language in everyday life, as we know that there are many regional languages because there are a lot of tribes in Indonesia . So it is not surprising that even though it is an island, there are many and different regional languages.

West Java itself has a special regional language, namely Sundanese. Of course, Sundanese has a vocabulary that is different from other languages, so it is easy to distinguish. Plus this language is used in everyday life in addition to Indonesian.

So the use of this language is not only limited by the Sundanese, but is also used by all the people in West Java. Because the use of this language is very important to support everyday activities.

Therefore, since the language is one of the characteristics of the West Java region, when you are in a meeting and when you use the Sundanese language, fellow tribes will definitely  know that you are from West Java by communicating using that language.

Therefore, knowing that someone belongs to a region, it is not surprising to look at the language used daily. Although many people use indonesian language at this time, the use of regional languages is still being carried out, so that it continues to exist and is not erased by time.

Because if the regional language is abandoned, it is a pity for later generations, where they do not know their ethnic group’s own language. In fact, it is the use of this language that distinguishes one tribe from another.

Unique features of musical instruments

Another characteristic  of the West Java region that you can see  is the musical instrument. Of course, each region has its own musical instrument, which can be the symbol of that region and  the symbol of West Java. Only this region, of course, everyone knows one of its unique musical instruments, the Anglung. Anglung is a traditional musical instrument made of bamboo.

In fact,  many schools, including the elementary schools in West Java, have to offer this traditional musical instrument. Moreover, playing it is also different from modern musical instruments such as now, because shaking it will produce some sounds. In fact, because of the popularity of the instrument, it is known internationally.

In addition to the Angklung,  there are flute instruments that include West Java characteristics. From the point of view of the material, it is similar to the Anglung made of bamboo, but it can be seen that Flute 1 distinguishes it from its shape made of bamboo only. There are holes in this musical instrument, which help to regulate the tone later.

Of course, the number of holes in this instrument also depends on where it is adjusted according to how many songs it will be attached to. However, in general, there are only 4 holes in the flute. Because of the uniqueness of this musical instrument, sundanese songs should be accompanied by this flute. In fact, it is not uncommon for them to play the flute when someone is in the rice field and entertains themselves.

Characteristics of food category

There is no denying that the characteristics  of West Java are  reflected in its diet,  there are many specialties that belong and exist outside the West Java region. This position shows that there are a lot of people who love the province’s regular food.  Call it one of the regular West Javanese snacks that can be easily found in the outdoor area  , such as badakor or cheese.

The food consists of fish meat and is covered with spring roll skins and tofu and is given the seasoning of peanuts. In addition to streetfood meals, there are also regular snacks such as meneze blocks. Bloch Menes is a common dish made from tapioca and coconut grated, which acts as a shaving. Thissnack is envied from two types, namely, corpse blocks and m enesblocks.

In addition, there is oncom rice, which is also very popular and included in  one  of the characteristics of West Java, originating from Tasikmalaya. Oncom rice itself is rice mixed with roasted or roasted oncom. During the mixing process, it is not only stirred, but also awaits that oncom and rice will be mixed equally.

In addition, there are also snacks such as green serabi, which is a typical karawang dish. Of course, this serabi is different from the others, because the production process is almost identical, but there are additional suji leaves to green the color. Of course, the use of these leaves is to avoid using food coloring, so that it is safe when consumed.

Characteristics of traditional dances

The characteristics  of West Java  are also reflected in the traditional dance section, where there are many. The Syreban mask dance is one of the traditional dances that originated from the region of West Java. This art has a meaning, namely the story of sunan kunung caste when you want to control the city of Syreban. But at that time an attack was carried out by the Prince of Welang, and thus finally a war took place.

The use of masks in this dance consists of 13 colors, where each type has different characteristics and applications of colors. However, recently many people have only used red and white colours, and the use of masks is also adjusted according to the theme of the ongoing event. In addition to the mask dance, there is also a peacock dance inspired by peacocks.

The peacock itself is the symbol of the crown, so that the dancers will use the crown when active. Along with this dance, there will also be a gamelen music played by three people. Of course, this is a dance that is very popular even abroad. In addition to the above dances, there is also a Jaibong dance that is already very popular.

However, this dance  has used controversy because the movements are very erotic, but recently it has begun to be preserved again. So these are some of the characteristics that this province is trying to achieve.  I’m not surprised to know the characteristics of West Java,  which will help preserve it so that future generations  can learn about  regional cultural customs or characteristics of West Java.

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