The Sundanese people, the indigenous community of West Java. Learn about their unique language, arts, music, and way of life that have been preserved for generations.
The Sundanese People – Unique Facts and Their Differences from the Javanese
The Sundanese are the name for the tribe that inhabits the western part of the island of Java or often called West Java
This tribe has a long and unique history and an interesting culture
Those people also have a different language from the people of Central Java and East Java
that’s why they don’t want to be called Javanese even though they inhabit the island of Java
The origin of the Sundanese
The people origin comes from Austronesian descent (the Mongolid race or race spread from Taiwan to Hawaii) who live in Taiwan.
Then, they migrated through the Philippine archipelago until they arrived in Java around 1,500 to 1,000 BC
Sunda comes from Sanskrit, the prefix Sund or Sundsha means white, sparkling and bright.
In Balinese and Old Javanese, Sundanese means holy, blameless, pure, spotless, or clean.
Sundanese unique facts
There are some unique facts about Sundanese people that are interesting to know
1. The Can not Pronounce the Letter F
Those people find it difficult to pronounce sentences with the letter F they always replace it with the letter P
for example the word Different they will read it as Dipperent
2. They like to Eat Fresh Vegetables.
In almost every daily food menu, fresh vegetables with chili sauce are available
Sundanese food menu is not as complete and as many as Javanese, Sumatran or Sulawesi people
The hallmark of Sundanese food is fried fish or fried chicken with fresh vegetables
3, They Speak in Beautiful Tone
People are pleasant to hear when they speak because they have a soft rhythm and tone
they are calm and patient people
they spoke softly and kindly
4. White or Light Skinned
They are generally have lighter and whiter skin than Javanese
and they are also physically more attractive
that’s why Sundanese women are known as the most beautiful women in Indonesia
that’s why the city of Bandung is also often called the city of flowers not only because there are many beautiful flowers in the city but also because there are many beautiful women in the city
5.Angklung
Angklung is a musical instrument made of bamboo and the sound is very beautiful
Even though it looks traditional, this instrument can play all kinds of songs from various genres of music
Sundanese Language
Just like the Javanese language which consists of various dialects such as Central Java, East Java and coastal Java, Sundanese is also divided into several dialects, namely
1. Sundanese Banten : Sundanese language used by the people of Banten.
2. South Sundanese : Sundanese language used for communication among Pringan people, such as Sumedang, Tasikmalaya, Cimahi, Garut and Bandung.
3. North Sundanese : Sundanese language used by the Bogor people and the people in the north coast region.
4. East Central Sunda: Sundanese language used by the Kuningan and Majalengka people.
5. Northeastern Sunda: Sundanese that is commonly used to communicate with the people of Kuningan and Cirebon.
6. Southeastern Sundanese: Sundanese that is commonly used by the people of Banjar, Ciamis, and even in several areas in Central Java.
Religion
Almost all Sundanese people are Muslim, although some still adhere to their ancestral religion, namely Sunda Wiwitan, but the numbers are not many
Sundanese people who still adhere to the Sunda Wiwitan religion are the Baduy people
This tribe is in West Java in the Banten area
they are very unique because it has a different way of life from the Sundanese
The Myth of The Prohibition of Marrying Javanese
The myth of the prohibition of Javanese and Sundanese marriages originates from the history of the war between the Majapahit Kingdom from Java and the Padjadjaran Kingdom from Sunda.
Reporting from various sources, why can’t the Sundanese marry the Javanese often bring remnants of hostility between the two tribes.
but at this time the myth is no longer valid
Now many Sundanese people are married to Javanese people
Sundanese Dance
Sundanese people also like to dance
There are many dances from this tribe but the most famous is the Jaipong and Ronggeng dance
This dance is very beautiful because it displays sexy and erotic movements
okay guys, that’s a little story about the Sundanese people who inhabit western Java
for the next article I will write about the Baduy tribe
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