Javanese

[ jav-uh-neez, -nees, jah-vuh- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the island of Java, its people, or their language.

noun

, plural Jav·a·nese.

1. a member of the native Malayan people of Java, especially of that branch of it in the central part of the island.
2. the Austronesian language of central Java.

Javanese

/ ˌdʒɑːvəˈniːz /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Java, its people, or the Javanese language

noun

1. -nese a native or inhabitant of Java
2. a Malayo-Polynesian language of Central and Eastern Java

Word History and Origins

Origin of Javanese¹

1695–1705; Javan ( Jav(a) + -an ) + -ese

Example Sentences

Thousands of villagers who live on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Central Java welcome Ramadan with Nyadran, a Javanese ritual influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism that includes visiting, cleaning and decorating ancestors’ graves.

From Seattle Times

In particular, they studied the 'bonang', an instrument from the Javanese gamelan built from a collection of small gongs.

From Science Daily

She later expanded it into a design company, working with Javanese and Chinese batik artists in developing her own designs.

From New York Times

Yogyakarta is an ancient center of Javanese culture and the seat of royal dynasties going back centuries.

From Seattle Times

On Wednesday, he is to travel to Yogyakarta, a city also on the island of Java that is the center of Javanese culture and the seat of royal dynasties going back centuries.

From Washington Times