# Old Javanese: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika



## 南島君

Ok, we all know the origin of this extract, we all know "neka" means *different*, "tunggal" means *one*, "ika" means *that*.

My questions are:
1. What is the meaning or grammatical function (if there is) of "Bhin-" in *Bhin*neka?
2. Literally, what does "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" denoting? Does it mean something close to "those (who are) different (yet in) one"?
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ｉｋａ　　　　　　　　　　ｎｅｋａ　　　　　　　　　ｔｕｎｇｇａｌ

Thanks in advance.

lc


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## Brioche

An entry in Wikipedia suggests that it is more  correctly rendered as "[although] scattered, remaining [as] one"—


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## 南島君

Brioche said:


> An entry in Wikipedia suggests that it is more  correctly rendered as "[although] scattered, remaining [as] one"—



Hi Brioche,

Thanks for the information. This is interesting, this interpretation takes *ika* as different meaning(?), as
[although] scattered　　　　remaining (as) 　　　one
　　　　　　　　?(Bhin-)neka　　　　　?　　　　　　　　　　tunggal

I am rather confused, since i know nothing about OJ. Geez... i really need some help here.


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## mataripis

南島君 said:


> Ok, we all know the origin of this extract, we all know "neka" means *different*, "tunggal" means *one*, "ika" means *that*.
> 
> My questions are:
> 1. What is the meaning or grammatical function (if there is) of "Bhin-" in *Bhin*neka?
> 2. Literally, what does "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" denoting? Does it mean something close to "those (who are) different (yet in) one"?
> Ｉｋａ　　　　　　　　　　ｎｅｋａ　　　　　　　　　ｔｕｎｇｇａｌ
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> lc


Old Javanese is new to me. If i consult Tagalog words, this will become  " Naiiba ka na natatangi ka pa" meaning "exceptional and different one".I based my answer on how i read the old javanese terms.


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## theo1006

Hi,

This is not a bad translation: _those who are different yet one_.
Are you aware that _Bhinneka Tunggal Ika_ is the slogan in the national emblem of Indonesia?  As such it refers to the great diversity of peoples and cultures in the archipelago, who are nevertheless united in one state.

Theo


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## 南島君

Hi Theo,

Thanks for your comment and remind. I am very much aware of what i am asking.

Apparently, as Brioche pointed out earlier, there are different explanation on this sentence - ok, i am not even sure if it does stand for a sentence/clause/predicate.
If my translation _those who are different yet one_ is somehow close to the core meaning, it suppose to be a complex noun.

 I was somehow confused.


lc


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