De-Constructing And Re-Constructing The Sentencei One categorization that is known among scholars in culture and literature is the literate and the pre-literate society and culture. The Jawanese with her writing system, however, is problematic for this categorization for a number of consideration. This paper will not involved itself into this problematic even though its focus is upon one evidence that may locate the Jawanese within the literate society and culture, that is, the Jawanese writing system.
The striking difference in the writing system in Latin and Jawa is hardly draw attention to scholars in Jawanese culture and architecture. Even though this paper is not talking about architecture as language, the focus is in elucidating that difference. The absence of space between words as is common to
Jawanese writing (in comparison to the Latin writing system), then, is taken as a departure to speculate the place of space on the one hand, and in
interpretation within the Jawanese architecture as well.
An examination upon the difference in that writing system is undertook from the business of reading the written materials; thus, centered in the question of what one should do in reading such written material. It is found that in reading the Jawanese, one must impose space to confirm the word. At almost
simultaneous instance, one also demanded to employ interpretation to play role so the exact word can be confirmed. Reading a Jawanese material is likely a process of de-construction and re-construction of a sentence.
Does the difference significant to the understanding of Jawanese architecture in particular, and to vernacular architecture in general? Rather than presenting the answer, this paper will ask us to reassess the present understanding of vernacular architecture, particularly upon the status of this understanding: is it the real understanding or is it a transformed understanding of vernacular architecture.
Introduction s reading difficult and problematic? To the first learner in reading, the answer will always be “yes, it is difficult”. To most of us who have decades of experiences with reading, the answer should be “no”; it is not the reading that is difficult and problematic, it is in capturing the most correct meaning of the sentence that may be difficult and problematics. This decades of experiences in reading not just make us say that a sentence must have a number of words to make it called as ‘sentence’; and a word must usually have a number of alphabets that altogether makes the word with meaning as one inseparable unity.
I
The experience in reading, unfortunately, mostly resulted in unawareness that between words that make up one sentence must have space. We hardly pay attention to the fact that the space not only one element in sentence that every word must relies on. Imagine of one sentence that does not have spaces between word, that sentence will be on a problematic state: is it a sentence or a word?
The importance of space between words and its consequences in the (re-)construction of sentence as well as its meaning, will be appointed as the focus of the following inquiry. The Jawanese sentence will be taken as the case, and the existence of space and interpretation as the formation process of meaning, will be the focus. Central to this inquiry is what may be the outcome if the Latin reading (and writing) system is operated in reading the Jawanese writings.
Reading Jawanese Sentence e must admit that the Latin system of reading is strongly dominated our daily activities regarding sentences, articles, magazines and books. This domination almost totally anaesthetisize our knowledge upon the way that readings are presented to us. We, for example, almost automatically say that the first word of any sentence is the subject, that a sentence is structured as subject-predicate-object. We also hardly notice and critical that to become a sentence, every word must be separated from every other word within that sentence (and even smaller unit: the phrase). “YOU READ THE SENTENCE” is a sentence without any reservation puts upon it, but
“YOUREADTHESENTENCE” is quite the opposite. We suddenly ask what kind of writing is it; is that a sentence, so what is the meaning; is it a word, so what is the meaning of it.
W
Separating the preceded word must be separated from the succeeding one in order to make up a phrase or sentence. By this separation every word may directly exist as the word (a group of alphabet with one or more meaning signifying it) without necessarily destroying the phrase or sentence. Once this separation between words becomes a phrase or sentence, there we will find spaces. This space, must always present in every phrase or sentence, however, is not considered as character such as alphabet or
writing/reading-marks (yet, in typewriter and computer keyboard there is a button called
‘space bar’). This space makes a word becomes different from a phrase or a sentence; or, put it in other way, the space is one vital and essential definer of a phrase or a sentence.
The absence of space between words will only make “YOUREADTHESENTENCE” is neither a phrase nor a sentence.
Anchoring the essentiality of space in the Latin system as the way we define phrases and sentences, we are now turn to see and read the Jawanese writing. Since the Jawanese writing has its own figures of alphabet, it is better to introduce one such example (fig.
1). After transformation the Jawanese alphabets into the Latin alphabet, that figures is latinized as follows (fig. 2).
Fig 1. Figure of Jawanese writing Fig 2. Latinization of Jawanese figures
What we have is absolutely a row of alphabets. The Jawanese is neither a phrase nor a sentence, that we must admit because there is no space that may indicate. The Latin system, on the other hand, fails to detect the latinized-Jawanese as phrase or sentence.
To the Jawanese, that figure is one sentence with very clear and definite meaning. The absence of space, then, is the way that Jawanese writes; or put it in otehr words, the
Jawanese does not define a phrase or a sentence through the inclusion of space. The diference between the Latin to the Jawanese, as will be examined further, is also difference in system, both in writing and in reading.
Since we works with the Jawanese from the Latin system, we must transform the Jawanese characters into the latin, which will end only after the figures is transformed into a phrase or a sentence acceptable for latin. Figure 1 will be taken as the case for this transformation, figure that to the Jawanese is one full sentence, and is a jawanization of a sentence quoted from Ensiklopedi Wayang Indonesia (1999) vol.3 p.980 with slight modification. What that writing says? This is quite a proses of reading and interpreting meaning. To begin with, the figures which are of Jawanese characters will be
transformed into latin, precisely as how the writing is doing.
line 1
<r>
<i> <i> <e> <ng><e> <i> <i>
<e>[da][wa][Pa][nya][wa][ta][sa][la]<h>[sa]<o>[ha][ra][pa][ma][ha][sa][ra]
<ca> <u>
dewiPancawatisalahseorangpermaisuri line 2
<e><i> <i><e>
[pa][ba][Ba][sa][ka][sa][dha][ra][ka][ra][ja][ha][na][ra][ta]
<ra><u> <u> <ti> <wi>
prabuBasukestidarikerajaanwirata
line 3 <r>
<e> <i> <i> <i> <i>
[pa][ma][ha][sa][ra][la][ha][na][ha][dha][la]<h><e>[da][wa][Sa][ga][na][.]
<u> <nya> <u> <di>
permaisurilainnyaadalahdewiSugandi.
Altogether, the transformation will arrive at latinized figure as shown in fig 2.
(that is:
dewiPancawatisalahseorangpermaisuriprabuBasukestidarikerajaanwiratapermaisurilainny aadalahdewiSugandi.)
The transformation as shown in fig. 2 is only second step of transformation, whose first transformation is the transformation from basic alphabet into applied alphabet, as exemplified in fig 3 below.
<i> <i>
<e>[da][wa][Pa][nya][wa][ta] ======> [da/de][wa/wi][Pa][nya/nca][wa][ta/ti]
<ca> de wi Pa nca wa ti basic alphabet ======> applied alphabet {i.e. dewiPancawati}
Fig. 3. Transformation of Alphabet
The length of figure 2 may give a clue that the row of alphabets is at least one sentence.
To ensure what that row is, one more transformation is taken, that is, separating the alphabet to become row of words. To do this, we will take line 2 of Fig. 1 as the case, that is: “darikerajaanwirata”. The problem, then, is where is the place for space- emerging-word? Considering that any word is a unit of figures/alphabets that has particular meaning, this mean that a space will only energe if we may grasped what meaning of any combining figure has. A vocabulary of words and meaning,
undoubtedly, prerequisiting any effort in finding the space. Even though only just one short row of alphabets, there are so many possibilities for the space to come, six of them are as follows:
a. dari kera jaan wira ta b. dar ike raja anwi rata c. darik era jaan wirata d. dari kera jaanwi rata e. da rike raja anwirata f. dari kerajaan wirata From all possible setting above, we finally think that “dari kerajaan wirata” is the correct phrase/sentence since its meaning is “from the Wirata Kingdom” [dari = from; kerajaan
= kingdom; wirata = wirata]. It must be noted here that the emergence of word is heavily rely on interpretation on meaning that we will apply to every placing of space.
Of course, the reference for that interpretation is the vocabulary that we have in our mind. Transforming the row by inserting space, finally, gives us this following figure (fig. 4).
Dewi Pancawati salah seorang permaisuri prabu Basukesti dari kerajaan wirata permaisuri lainnya adalah dewi Sugandi.
Fig. 4 the words of the Latinized Jawanese sentence
Adding commas and period mark makes that figure read as follows: Dewi Pancawati, salah seorang permaisuri prabu Basukesti dari kerajaan wirata, permaisuri lainnya adalah dewi Sugandi. The translation into English is “Dewi Pancawati is one Queen of King Basukesti, King of Wirata Kingdom, the other Queen is Dewi Sugandi”. This last transformation is confirmed as a sentence because a certain and precise meaning is at hand. There are still possibilities to modify the spacing of alphabet/word if in a larger context the meaning of the sentence is not correct.
From the Latin system reading (and writing) it is now known that to read the Jawanese writing is not a straightforward action. A Transformation from Jawanese writing into writing that follows Latin system must be taken before the reading itself can take place.
Within this transformation, two actions must be taken, first interpretation and second placing space between words. This transformation is not necessarily one single process;
every reader must prepare him/herself to perform a reiterative process of transformation.
Reading 1: Interpretation What this sentence means? What this word means? Those two questions always haunted every Jawanese sentence reading. Transformation from a row of alphabets into ordered and structured words takes place to obtain the meaning of the sentence. However, this effort will not happen before the words that make the sentence is fixed. To find the exact word for the sentence demanded every reader to allow interpretation to play. It can be speculated that, theoretically, every possible combination of alphabet must be given equal allowance to become the word of a sentence. In capturing the meaning of a Jawanese sentence, the interpretation will play its role in this following:
= Find all possible words (considering that a word is a combination of alphabets that carries meaning)
= Find precise word of the sentence
= Find the meaning of the sentence (both independently as one single sentence and/or contextually in a paragraph or chapter)
Reading 2: Locating the Space Following the latin system of writing, one sentence consists of four words will precisely have three spaces, like “We talk about sentence”. That sequence of words is called a sentence because there is one exact meaning from that composition of words which meaning is not necessarily the sum of meaning of every single word. Noting that `talk about' is an idiom, why we say that the sentence consists of four words and not three words, is it because the spaces that present between one word and the other?
The Latin system seemingly allow the space in a sentence to play important roles or functions, for we will not say that “wetalkaboutsentence” is a sentence, and a word neither. Tbe presence of space between words not only transform the gathering of alphabets into a sequence of words; that space also transform that gathering alphabets into word(s). By separating --or unbinding-- the alphabets the space emerges and confirm itself as separator. As a separator, this space must have the status of ‘legal’
element of the sentence. Moreover, its status is also being equal to that of single alphabet, as shown in every typewriter and computer keyboard, since this separator is given a self-obvious name as “space bar” and also of the same status with every alphabet as one button (in the form of a long button – a bar).ii
Since a word and a sentence is given the indifferent treatment in Jawanese, the capturing of meaning is more problematic than in Latin reading. Considering that the meaning of a sentence is a transformation of a number of meaning that each word has, it can be said that the meaning of a sentence is fully dependent and defined by the meaning of words that make that sentence. To capture the meaning of each word, however, demanded from the reader an act of transformation, that is, transforming the row of alphabets into a word. There we find that to read a sentence is to operate two steps of
transformation.iii
Reading and capturing the meaning of a sentence in a Latin system of writing is easily undertook for every word is separated by a space; and is much easier since this system is
what we experienced right from our childhood. Relying on that Latin system, means that one must agree that the space is one essential requisite for a sentence to exist. The presence of this space is also made every word have its own existence as a word--a unit of meaning. The location of space is also so defined that it always separate one word from the other. The word of one sentence, then, can easily be identified by the presence of the space.
Once we impose this Latin system into reading Jawanese sentence, a failure will be avoided if we can successfully locate the spaces that separate every word.
Physically (and visually) the Jawanese writing demanded the reader to define the words that make the sentence up. Every word in a Jawanese sentence, then, is
_one_possible_word_ toward the sentence. Once the exact or possible word is defined, indicated by a meaning that the word has, the space is then confirmed, is firmly located.
The Jawanese must virtually de-construct the rows of alphabets into rows of words and spaces. By ‘de-construct’ is the effort in departing the alphabet from the other in such a way that the alphabet may be grouped into a word with particular meaning. Once the rows of alphabet are de-constructed into a number of words, the search for meaning of a sentence may be started. This search for meaning is a process of re-constructing the sentence, considering that this search is an action of structuring and ordering the words into one integrated meaning of words (it must be bear in mind that the meaning of a sentence is not the sum of the meaning of the words). This search for meaning of a
sentence is called a re-construction because this action is subject to the exactness of the words that is found in the row of alphabets.
Reading 3: reading Latinized Jawanese sentence If reading is understood as capturing the meaning of a sentence, the meaning of every word heavily influence the meaning of the sentence. Yet, the meaning of a sentence is not the sum of meaning of words that make up the sentence. Since the Jawanese
sentence does not definitely shows the words that make up the sentence, from the Latin system of writing this Jawanese writing is questionable: is it a sentence or just a word.
Reading a Jawanese sentence, then, is not one action that may directly apply the Latin reading system. To read a Jawanese sentence means to at first transform the writing into the Latin writing, and it means that one must at the very first outset define the words.
The transformation into Latin system, as experienced by many archeologists
(particularly the epigraphs) has become the central issue in the formation of history of Jawa in the pre-Islamic era.
Once the Jawanese writing is transformed into Latin writing. reading a Jawanese
sentence should always be located as “possible sentence” for any effort in capturing the meaning. Thus, any meaning also should be located as ‘possible meaning’.
Since the Latin system make every word self-evident by the presence of space after the word, the transformation of Jawanese writing into Latin system must be understood as
an action of finding those words within the respective sentence. To find a word means two things in the reading process. First, it means to re-collect the vocabulary that one has in his/her disposal. It is to match every configuration of alphabet with every possible meaning that capture the configuration into what is called a definite or exact word. Second, it must also be meant as making the space presents itself visually. Since the reading of Jawanese sentence is done under the Latin system, the space is one element of sentence that must be invented and exposed visually (and physically). Now, even though space in Latin and Jawanese system is the marker of sentence, differences must be well defined so as not to equalize the Latin and the Jawanese sentence and reading. In Jawanese reading, the presence of space is an indication that the search for word is brought about successfully. This space is also the one who de-construct the row of alphabet into a series of words
Reading any Latin writing practically leave every word within the sentence intact, not only the configuration of the alphabet that make the word, but also the place of the word within the sentence. The meaning of a sentence, furthermore, is a transformation of a number meaning from each word. Keeping the words intact in the Jawanese writing, will only lead the reader to a gathering of sound that are symbolized in
alphabets. The gathering of alphabets is what a Jawanese writing present to our reading action. The construction of gathering alphabets must undergo de-construction, an action of separating the alphabets, an unbinding of those bound alphabets, to break the long line of alphabets into a series of words. The act of de-construct is not to destroy the sentence but is an act to generate word, to generate elements of a sentence. This