Javanese Society's Concept of Time (Kejawen): Anthropological Linguistic Study

Abstract

In Javanese society, Javanese is essentially a philosophy that has existed since the Javanese people. The word "Kejawen" comes from the word "Java", which in Indonesian means "everything related to Javanese (Kejawaan) customs and beliefs". In general opinion, Kejawen contains art, culture, traditions, rituals, attitudes and philosophy of the Javanese people. Kejawen also has a spiritual or Javanese spiritual meaning, the main Javanese spiritual practices are Pasa (Fasting) and Tapa (Mesmerizing). The "laku" symbols are in the form of original Javanese traditional devices, such as the keris, the concept of time and calendar, wayang, reciting incantations, the use of certain flowers which have symbolic meaning, and so on. This study is a linguistic study related to culture which aims to describe the lexicon (language form) which is limited to the concept of time and the function of the calendar in the social culture of the Kejawen community. The data collection process was carried out using note-taking techniques and by recording the lexicon (language forms) in the concept of time, the function of the calendar in social culture and asking for help from expert Javanese expert informants. Data were analyzed using a meaning-making approach based on cultural concepts (Riley, 2008). By using a meaning-making approach based on cultural concepts, researchers and practitioners can gain deeper insights into how individuals and communities understand their world, make sense of their experiences, and find meaning and purpose in their lives.The results of this research provide an ethnolinguistic disciplinary perspective on the lexicon in the concept of time, which is an example of a form of Javanese practice that still exists in Javanese society today, namely determining good days and dates for certain activities.