Pemaksaan Bahasa Indonesia Formal yang Kebablasan

Kira-kira ini respon saya di sebuah grup bahasa untuk kaum puritan kebablasan yang berusaha memaksakan penggunaan bahasa Indonesia formal di konteks informal, bahkan walaupun target penuturnya memiliki bahasa selain Indonesia sebagai bahasa ibu.

Karena sang pembuat thread (lucunya) berbicara dalam bahasa Inggris, maka respon berikut pun saya berikan dalam bhs. Inggris:

" I learn linguistics autodidactically and I'm sorry brother, I can't totally agree with what you mentioned in your post above. 

FIRSTLY, in linguistics there is no such thing as a "Batavian language". If with that you tried to refer to the Betawi language, then still the Betawi language is different from the linguistic variant widely used by the younger generation in Jakarta.

I would term this variant as the Jakartan colloquial variant of the Indonesian language. It's still the Indonesian language in its core with a heavy influence from Betawi with regard to its pronouns (e.g. "loe", "gue", etc.). However it is NOT the Betawi language, because it doesn't use completely the Betawi vocabulary. Neither does it employ the Betawi accent nor syntax to their fullest extents.

To my knowledge, similar variants of the Indonesian language can also be found in some places in Indonesia. For example in Manado. The Manado variant of the Indonesian language is NOT the same with the original Manado language itself. In other places, an indigenous language will even take place instead of a local variant of the Indonesian language, as the case in the inland areas of many islands in Indonesia.

SECONDLY, I agree with the usage of the formal Indonesian language in formal contexts. But in non-formal contexts, every people in different areas in Indonesia (or any other countries) have the cultural right to use AND preserve their indigenous language or their local variant of the national language which arises from the unique cultural context in which they live.

​ The "aku" and "kamu" that you often mentioned in your previous comments are the Indonesian version of the 1st and 2nd person pronouns used in a familiar context, including an informal context. Indonesian indigenous languages and the local variants of the Indonesian language also have their counterparts for these pronouns. However, it is incorrect to say that "aku" and "kamu" are the only legitimate pronouns to be used in an informal context.

THIRDLY, many linguists and language aficionados, including me, are opposed to the practice of enforcing a national language in all informal conversations in a nation of diverse ethnic groups. Such practice has been the reason of the extinction of so many indigenous languages and local variants of languages all around the world. Languages are no less than testaments to the diversity of human cultures itself. It is worthy of protection as any other human cultural products."