Book Review MAKSUD LO? by Brandon Possin - Artjoka - Gaya Hidup Kreatif

Book title: Maksud Lo? A Guide to the "Real" Indonesian Language (Paperback)

Author: Brandon Possin

Pages: 78 Pages

Language: English Language

Published Date: July 6th, 2020 

Publisher:  Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Price:  IDR 65,000 on the Gramedia website and $19.95 on Amazon.Format: PDF Format

Book  Front cover of Maksud Lo? A Guide to the "Real" Indonesian Language 

Maksud LO? is an Indonesian slang dictionary book used by Indonesians today and written by Brandon Possin.

Brandon Possin wrote MAKSUD LO? in simple words which are easy to understand even for those less proficient in English. 

The flow of writing is clear, presenting the alphabetized Indonesian Slang vocabulary. The book also has slang vocabulary from cities like Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Makassar, Yogyakarta, and Cilacap.

The book MAKSUD LO? is perfect for those who want to visit Indonesia and is suitable for all ages. 

About the author Brandon Possin

Brandon Possin, credit pic by his LinkedIn account 

Brandon Possin has 14 years of experience as an American diplomat and was an American diplomat serving as Political/Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, Indonesia, from 2014 – 2016. Brandon Possin currently serves at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. 

Previously, he managed U.S. economic policy with Pakistan at the State Department’s headquarters. He has served as an Economic Officer at U.S. Embassy in Islamabad (Pakistan), as Economic Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Lima (Peru), as Consular Officer/Ambassador Aide at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, and at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires (Argentina). He joined the Foreign Service in 2007 after a career as a journalist and business consultant.

Brandon Possin experienced such warm hospitality during his five years living in Indonesia that he was inspired to write this book. This book proves how much he cherishes Indonesia and wants to help expats in Indonesia to better understand Indonesian slang.

Brandon Possin is a native of Madison, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Virginia. was a visiting student at universities in Chile and Brazil. He speaks Portuguese, Indonesian, Spanish, Japanese, and basic Urdu. 

Brandon Possin's Purpose in Writing The Book “MAKSUD LO?” 

According to the 1990 Indonesian Population Census, only 15 percent of the population used formal Indonesian as an everyday language. However, 75% of the Indonesian residents use slang words in everyday life.

It's true! 

One example? Me! 

I use Indonesian slang more than the formal Indonesian language in my everyday life. I only use formal Indonesian in formal situations, such as attending seminars or symposiums. 

My habit of using slang on the daily fits with what Brandon Possin writes about the everyday Indonesian language on page 13 : 

"Slang Indonesian is the real Indonesian. It is the language one will hear in business meetings, at cafes, on the street, and in-text message conversations."

Possin writes about how slang Indonesian can be confusing for foreigners. For example, the sentence "Kok gitu sih?" is often used in daily parlance whereas the official textbooks teach, "Mengapa anda merasa seperti itu?" – to ask why someone feels a certain way  (page 15). 

As such, I’d much prefer foreigners to learn both, but with more emphasis on understanding Indonesian slang. My opinion fits with Brandon Possin's purpose in writing this book.

This dictionary aims to let visitors make deeper connections with Indonesia. Too often, foreigners get frustrated by the thick slang and then retreat to their expat bubble. 

An Introduction To Indonesian Slang 

As an Indonesian, I've learned slang Indonesian since I was a teenager in the '90s. Much of my generation learned slang from local celebrities like Debby Sahertian, who invented Indonesian words like akika, the pronoun for “me.” On point, Possin includes akika and other words like BEGINDANG (synonym of BEGITU in Bahasa, which means thereby) and also the word BELENJONG (synonym to  BELANJA  in Bahasa)  which means shopping. 

As Possin writes on page 17, slang is ever-changing – and Indonesian slang continues to change depending on who introduces words and popularizes it amongst speakers. 

For example, as far as I know, the Indonesian slang word SABI (which means can) is taken from the vocabulary BISA and then read backward into SABI, introduced by the popular TAHILALATS comic by Nurfadli Mursyid in 2017. 

Tahilalat’s Komik, which introduces the words SABI (Credit to Instagram account @tahilalats )

It was amazing to read this book and realize just how broadly the Indonesian slang lexicon has evolved. Take “CCP” for example – meaning ”secretly”, which is derived from “curi-curi pandang” which means stealing glances  (page 34). 

If not for Maksud Lo, I would never have known the etymology of Indonesian slang.  Like Possin writes (on page 20):

"... journeying through the Indonesian slang etymology is a trip into the eclectic, multicultural past. Slang reflects cultural fusion with English-speaking cultural norms. "

Survival Guide to Slang Indonesian

​​In his book, Brandon Possin wrote about how Indonesian slang develops through five areas: .

1. Acronyms

As an Indonesian, I love using acronyms for efficiency and for fun. For example, I often use the acronym TTDJ (read: titidije) to say “hati-hati di jalan”, which means have a safe drive. I also often use the acronym BT (read be-te) from the English sentence bad-tempered to say I'm in a bad mood. In a text message conversation, I often use the acronym GPP (it's okay) from gak -apa-apa (tidak apa-apa). 

Brandon Possin gives some of the slang Indonesian acronyms in the book on page 22, such as Percaya diri (confidence) into PD or pede. In fact, the use of acronyms in Indonesia is commonly used by the Indonesian people, the government, and institutions. For example, BKKBN stands for Badan Kependudukan dan Keluarga Berencana Nasional” (National Population and Family Planning Board), and MPR stands for Majelis Perwakilan Rakyat (People's Consultative Assembly).

2. Contractions

Slang Indonesian often comprises two or more words which can be contracted down to the first few letters of each word. An example is the slang “makasih”, which is derived from “terima kasih”, which means thank you (page 21). 

3. Short Style

As an Indonesian, I often use shortened words and sentences with natural soundsFor example, on page 23, Possin shares that,  instead of saying "Mengapa anda menatap?" one can choose instead to say "ngapain sih liat-liat?" FYI, NGAPAIN  is slang Indonesian from the word MENGAPA (why) which takes only the end of the words such as “-NGAPA” which is added to the  ending “-ING”, forming NGAPAIN. Similarly, the word LIAT is taken from formal Indonesian LIHAT (see), which erases the alphabets H and says it doubles into liat-liat. 

LIAT is an adjective that has a meaning in formal Indonesian – weak (not stiff) but not easily broken. Thus the  sentence “ngapain lihat-lihat sih?” sounds more natural, easy and relaxing to use as opposed to  "Mengapa anda menatap". I feel uncomfortable using formal Indonesian as an everyday language because it sounds too stiff and serious.

4. Verbs

Slang Indonesian changed the formal Indonesian basic into something that sounds more natural.For example,on page 24, Possin writes that “Melihat” (to see) becomes liat (explanation as above). Mengerti (to understand) becomes NGERTI (Omitting “ME” and only using NGERTI). Bertemu (to meet) becomes Ketemu (KETEMU). There are other examples on page 26 about omitting the proper verbs prefix and adding "nge-", "ke-", e; eliminating one or few words and turning two vowels into one.

5. Adjectives and Nouns

Not only does it omit the prefix of the formal verb, but slang Indonesian can also omit prefixes of adjectives and nouns, eliminate one or a few letters of the word, replacing the letter "a" with "e," or turning two vowels into one. For example, on page 26,  Habis (depleted/finished) can turn into ABIS. Belum (not yet) into BLOM. The slang in Indonesia is also fun as you can add particles at the end of sentences, such as "Kok", "Sih", "Lah", "dong", "ah", "loh", and "deh" for sentences that express a feeling or statement to convince someone. Example: "Gak gitu dong!" (it's not like that!) to express feelings of self-defense.

All those Indonesian slang forms change formal Indonesian to sound more relaxed and comfortable. A lot more examples are given in the book. 

MAKSUD LO?: Quick Impressions

I enjoyed reading this book from the first page to the last. The funny thing is, as an Indonesian citizen, I only know some of the Indonesian slang vocabulary currently in use. 

As Possin writes on page 17: “For Indonesian native speakers, this guide could just help them become more self-aware of the language they speak and thus not confuse their foreign friends or colleagues. Countless times an Indonesian cannot separate the colloquial/slang vocabulary from formal vocabulary within his/her lexicon.”

Admittedly, sometimes, many Indonesians (including me) may need help to distinguish between standard Indonesian language and slang Indonesian words – which can be especially helpful for those who’d want to write a proper article or even a scientific paper..

Maksud Lo can thus help Indonesian citizens to be more aware and distinguish between standard language and slang.

Interestingly, formal Indonesian and regional languages have vocabularies adapted to how to speak politely and ethically according to age level. 

For example, in the Sundanese region in the province of West Java, there are language levels that differ according to the purpose of use and to whom  the person speaks to For example, Sundanese people have nine words to describe the act of eating! They are:  : 

• Dahar: which means eating when used for ourselves and to friends whom we are are close or familiar with
• Emam: Emam is a baby talk word used with children
• Tuang: Tuang is subtly used when talking to or referring to older or respected people. For example, "Dupi Bapak tos tuang?" which means, “Have you eaten?” The word Tuang itself in Indonesian means to pour or spill, however
• Neda: Neda is used when referring to ourselves eating
• Nyatu: Nyatu is used in a rough or harsh manner, such as when in a state of anger, or when referring to animals eating 
• Barang Hakan: It means to eat greedily.
• Ngagares: Ngagares is used to express eating endlessly.
• Lebok: Lebok is considered a rough or uncouth word, and is usually used between very close friends.
• Lolodok: Lolodok is considered harsh language and also commonly used among close friends.

Unlike the English language, which uses the words Eat, Ate, Eaten, and Eating, distinguished based on when they are used, not to whom they are used and under what conditions.

In Indonesian, the word makan (eat) is the same in any situation and addressed to anyone. The only difference is that we need to add time information—for example, makan siang (lunch), makan pagi (breakfast), makan malam (dinner), and cemilan (snack).

Anyway, this book does not discuss Sundanese slang. It is just an example, LOL.

Conclusion

I am very grateful that Brandon Possin made a dictionary about Indonesian slang because it benefits Indonesian Visitors and local Indonesian citizens. 

Visitors to Indonesia will find Maksud Lo very helpful in understanding the language used by Indonesian locals. As a bonus, Indonesians also learn about the slang currently being used, even me, who is unfamiliar with some slang used virally. 

As Brandon Possin said on page 17: 

"To be sure, slang is ever-changing, and the words in this guide might already be outdated. Yet many of these words do persist, even if the hippest of the hipsters in Seminyak aren't saying them now. They stay in movies and in literature and deserve a place in a printed book for once. It's worth taking a snapshot of Indonesian vocabulary for all to learn from and enjoy! This book might be as fun for locals as it is for visitors."

And yes, it's so true. Slang language often changes according to who is using it and the extent to which the vocabulary goes viral and is eventually used by all Indonesians daily."

I am also excited about this book because ten percent of proceeds will go to the BASABali charity for Orangutan Foundation International, a nonprofit U.S.-Indonesian organization dedicated to conserving wild orangutans and their rainforest habitat in Kalimantan. Awesome!!

Those interested in getting a copy of "Maksud Lo" A Guide to the Real Indonesian Language, can purchase the e-book at Gramedia’s website or also on Amazon. 

Brandon Possin's quote