Well, in Jawa Tengah & Jawa Timur, people still using the word DALEM (means = SAYA) to agree when speaking with elderly or people they respect.  

It is funny that they translate it into Bahasa Indonesia ………

All the best,
Ajiek Stoneman


On Jul 31, 2013, at 4:10 PM, George Quinn <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I've just come back from a visit to Ternate in north Maluku. There I was bemused to hear "saya" still being used in some contexts as a respectful word for "yes". E.g. Quinn: "Gunung Gamalama indah sekali!" Local citizen agreeing: "Saya."
> I recall that this use of "saya" used to be fairly common in Java 50 years ago when younger or lower status people addressed older or higher status people (e.g. servant addressing boss), but it seems to have disappeared... except in north Maluku! Is it still heard elsewhere in Indonesia?
> --
> Dr George Quinn,
> Adjunct Professor & Visiting Fellow, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific,
> Member, ANU Emeritus Faculty,
> Australian National University,
> Canberra ACT 0200,
> Australia.
> 
> ** To view some of my shorter studies on Javanese language, literature & religion go to:
> http://anu.academia.edu/GQuinn
> 
> ** For information on Canberra's Balai Bahasa Indonesia (ACT) go to:
> http://bbiact.wordpress.com
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: Indonesian language list [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of BAHASA automatic digest system [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 31 July 2013 14:00
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: BAHASA Digest - 29 Jul 2013 to 30 Jul 2013 (#2013-8)
> 
> There are 6 messages totaling 393 lines in this issue.
> 
> Topics of the day:
> 
>  1. saya vs. aku (5)
>  2. BAHASA Digest - 28 Jul 2013 to 29 Jul 2013 (#2013-7)