Shades of Meaning

Produk kecantikan remaja
(beauty product for teenagers)

The solution to today's KATLA was belia meaning young. I asked ChatGPT what the difference was between this word and muda, that also means young. 

What is the difference between the Indonesian words "belia" and "muda"? They both mean young but are there differences in how the two words are used or are the two words interchangeable.

The Indonesian words "belia" and "muda" both mean young, but they have slightly different connotations and usage.

"Belia" generally refers to someone who is young and inexperienced, especially in a social or cultural context. It can also imply innocence and naivety. For example, "anak belia" can refer to a young child or a teenager who is still learning about life.

On the other hand, "muda" refers to someone who is young and physically able. It can also imply energy, vitality, and dynamism. For example, "usia muda" can refer to the period of life when someone is in their prime physical condition.

In some cases, these words can be interchangeable, but in other cases, using one over the other may convey a different nuance or meaning. For example, if you describe someone as "muda" it might emphasize their physical capabilities, whereas if you describe someone as "belia" it might emphasize their inexperience or lack of knowledge.

Overall, the usage of "belia" and "muda" depends on the context and the intended meaning of the speaker or writer.

The majority of youth in Indonesia marry young

I was reminded of another meaning for muda and also sought ChatGPT's opinion.

The Indonesian word "muda" can also be applied to colors can it not? Can you give an example of this usage?

Yes, that's correct! The Indonesian word "muda" can also be used to describe colors. When used to describe colors, "muda" usually means light or pale.

For example, you can say "warna hijau muda" to describe the color light green. Similarly, "warna biru muda" would mean light blue and "warna merah muda" would mean pink.

Another example of this usage could be "cat tembok warna kuning muda" which means "light yellow wall paint." In this case, "kuning muda" is used to describe a light or pale shade of yellow.

So, "muda" can be used not only to describe young people or physical conditions, but also to describe colors that are light or pale.

 Given my liking for rhymes, I asked the following:

Are there any Indonesian words that rhyme with the Indonesian word "belia"?

Yes, there are Indonesian words that rhyme with "belia". Here are a few examples:

Kelia: Kelia is an Indonesian word that means a container made from woven bamboo. It rhymes with "belia" as they both end with the same "-lia" sound.

Delia: Although "Delia" is not an Indonesian word, it is a name that is used in Indonesia as well. It also rhymes with "belia" as they both end with the same "-lia" sound.

Jelia: Jelia is an Indonesian word that means feeling jealous or envious. It also rhymes with "belia" as they both end with the same "-lia" sound.

These are just a few examples of Indonesian words that rhyme with "belia". There might be more words that rhyme with "belia" depending on the context or the dialect of Indonesian spoken.

Belia ends up sounding like a cross between "billya" and "bellya" by the way. The same applies to the rhyming words kelia, delia and jelia. The word kelia is also used as a name in Indonesian and means warm-hearted (link). There's no reference in Google Translate to its meaning a container. Jelia translates as "jelly" rather than "jealous". 

As usual with ChatGPT, its answers should NOT be taken as gospel. Further investigation should always be carried out. A flagrant example of its mendacity is a query that I carried out  today (March 28th) which is shown below together with part of the response.

Historically speaking then, are there any important events that have happened on March 28th.

Yes, there have been several important historical events that have occurred on March 28th. Here are some examples:

2005: The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded, occurred off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a massive tsunami that killed over 200,000 people in 14 countries.

This earthquake occurred on December 28th 2004 and NOT on March 28th 2005. ChatGPT is quick to admit its mistakes however:

In an earlier response by you to my query about important events happening on March 28th, you stated that the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake occurred on March 28th 2005. In fact, it occurred on December 26th 2004. How do you account for this error on your part?

I apologize for the error in my earlier response regarding the date of the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake. You are correct that the earthquake occurred on December 26th, 2004, not March 28th, 2005.

As an AI language model, I strive to provide accurate and reliable information to the best of my ability based on the data available in my training corpus. However, I am not infallible, and errors can occasionally occur due to a number of factors, including data limitations, misinterpretation of the input, or programming bugs.

I appreciate you bringing this to my attention and I will ensure to be more careful in the future when providing dates for important events. Thank you for helping me improve my accuracy and for your understanding.

Anyway, let's move on. I've made my point. Of course, one can't forget the similarity between the two Indonesian words muda and mudah. I asked ChatGPT for similar pairs of words. I've added commentary (in small print) to the examples in the light of my suspicions about ChatGPT's veracity.

The Indonesian words "muda" and "mudah" sound very much a like. Can you give other examples of two such words in Indonesian and differ only by the addition of a final "h" to one of them?

Sure, here are some examples:

"cinta" (love) and "cintah" (beloved)

Google Translate does not render "beloved" as cintah but instead uses the passive form of the active verb cintai. For example:

The lover and the beloved are really one and the same, even though the lover does not realise this until the very end.

Pecinta dan yang dicintai benar-benar satu dan sama, meski sang pecinta tidak menyadarinya sampai akhir. 

As a phrase on its own, " my beloved" is translated as kekasihku by both Google Translate and DeepL.

"ragu" (doubt) and "raguh" (hesitant)

The word "hesitant" is most commonly translated as ragu ragu. There's no entry for raguh in the dictionary.

"lupa" (forget) and "lupah" (forgotten)

The word "forgotten" is commonly translated by terlupakan as in generasi yang terlupakan (the forgotten generation). There's no entry for lupah in the dictionary.

"tangga" (stairs) and "tanggah" (floor level)

Google Translate renders tanggah as "kitchen" and "floor level" as tingkat lantai. 

"tepi" (edge) and "tepih" (rug)

No evidence that tepih means rug using translation tools or dictionary.

"bawa" (bring) and "bahwa" (that)

"pura" (temple) and "purah" (worthless)

There's no entry in the dictionary for purah. 

"tua" (old) and "tuah" (fortune)

  Google Translate does render tuah as "luck" but there is no dictionary entry. 

"hina" (insult) and "hinah" (insulted)

There is no dictionary entry for hinah. 

"rasa" (taste/feeling) and "rasah" (feeling/emotion)

There is no dictionary entry for rasah. 

It's important to note that the addition of "h" at the end of the word changes the meaning of the word, and they cannot be used interchangeably.

So this final effort is dubious to say the least. Where ChatGPT is getting its information from I've no idea and its response is useless for a non-native speaker of the language, serving only to confuse. Still, the exercise has been useful in showing the weaknesses and idiosyncrasies of ChatGPT.

Indonesian Prefixes

Figure 1 a screenshot of a news article about Indonesian politics. The word kinerja caught my eye and it was fairly obvious from the context that it meant performance and the word's similarity to the word kerja is another clue.

Figure 1

I thought I'd ask ChatGPT about it. The question and answer are shown below:

What is the etymology of the Indonesian word "kinerja". It looks similar to "kerja". Are the two words related?

Yes, the Indonesian word "kinerja" is derived from the root word "kerja", which means "work" or "job" in Indonesian. The prefix "ki-" in "kinerja" functions to intensify the meaning of the root word, similar to the function of the English prefix "re-" in words like "redo" or "rebuild".

The word "kerja" itself has its origins in the Malay language, which is closely related to Indonesian. The Malay language has borrowed words from various sources, including Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese, among others. However, "kerja" is believed to have originated from the Old Javanese language, which was spoken on the island of Java in Indonesia from the 9th to the 16th century.

In Old Javanese, "kerja" meant "action" or "activity". Over time, the meaning of the word shifted to refer specifically to work or labor. Today, "kinerja" is used in Indonesian to refer to performance, productivity, or work output, particularly in a professional or organizational context.

The reference to the prefix ki interested me so I investigated further:

Can you provide five examples of how the prefix "ki" in Indonesian is used to intensify the meaning of the root word?

Yes, here are five examples of how the prefix "ki" in Indonesian is used to intensify the meaning of the root word:

Kicir-kicir: This word refers to a lively and cheerful atmosphere. The root word "cir" means "dance," so "kicir-kicir" intensifies the meaning to convey a sense of a very active and vibrant dancing scene or party.

Kikir-kikir: This word means to be excessively stingy or miserly. The root word "kir" means "to cut," so "kikir-kikir" intensifies the meaning to convey a sense of someone who is cutting every penny, even to an excessive degree.

Kihajar: This word means to punish severely. The root word "hajar" means "to hit," so "kihajar" intensifies the meaning to convey a sense of a very harsh or severe punishment.

Kicau: This word means to sing or chirp. The root word "cua" means "bird sound," so "kicau" intensifies the meaning to convey a sense of a very lively and melodious bird song.

Kikuk: This word means to be very nervous or jittery. The root word "kuk" means "to be shaky," so "kikuk" intensifies the meaning to convey a sense of someone who is very shaky, jittery, and nervous.

On the more general topic of suffixes, I investigated the following:

Can you list five other prefixes that are used in the Indonesian language to modify the meaning of the root words to which they are attached?

Yes, here are five other prefixes that are commonly used in the Indonesian language to modify the meaning of the root words:

Me-: This prefix is used to indicate the action of the verb in the present tense. For example, "makan" means "to eat," while "memakan" means "is eating."

Di-: This prefix is used to indicate passive voice, to show that the subject of the sentence receives the action. For example, "dia makan" means "he eats," while "dimakan" means "is being eaten."

Ter-: This prefix is used to indicate that something has happened unexpectedly or unintentionally. For example, "jatuh" means "to fall," while "terjatuh" means "to fall accidentally."

Ber-: This prefix is used to indicate that an action is happening continuously or repeatedly. For example, "lari" means "to run," while "berlari" means "to keep running."

Se-: This prefix is used to indicate that something is equal or similar in quality or quantity. For example, "mata" means "eye," while "sejuta" means "a million (of something, usually money)."

In the fifth example, ChatGPT's "neurons" clearly misfired and so I asked:

Your reference to "mata" and "sejuta" in the fifth example that you provided don't seem related. Can you clarify? 

I apologize for the confusion. You are correct that the example I provided for the prefix "se-" may not have been the most accurate. Allow me to provide a better example:

The prefix "se-" can also be used to indicate that something is singular or one of a kind. For example, "orang" means "person," while "seorang" means "one person" or "a single person."

As for the example I provided earlier, "mata" means "eye," while "sejuta" means "a million." While "se-" is indeed used in the word "sejuta," it is not used to modify the meaning of the root word "mata." I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Foreign Words Adopted Unchanged by English

 I asked ChatGPT the following:

Can you list ten native German words that have been adopted without change by the English language and in common use by native speakers of the English language?

The response was:

Sure, here are ten German words that are commonly used in English:

Kindergarten - A preschool or daycare center for young children.

Rucksack - A backpack or knapsack.

Angst - A feeling of anxiety or dread.

Schadenfreude - Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.

Blitz - A sudden and intense military attack, or a sudden burst of something.

Wanderlust - A strong desire to travel or wander.

Zeitgeist - The spirit or mood of a particular time period.

Doppelganger - A person who looks remarkably like another person.

Autobahn - A high-speed highway or expressway.

Uber - Meaning "over" or "above," but in English commonly used as a prefix to denote something superior or exceptional, such as "Uber driver" or "Uber app".

I then asked the following:

Can you list another ten German words, different from the list you just provided.

The response was; 

Sure, here are ten more German words that have been adopted by English:

Gesundheit - An expression used to wish someone good health after they sneeze.

Kaput - Broken or not functioning properly.

Schlep - To carry or haul something heavy or awkward.

Bildungsroman - A novel that focuses on the moral and psychological development of the protagonist.

Delicatessen - A store that sells high-quality, often imported foods.

Fahrvergnügen - The pleasure of driving.

Gestalt - An organized whole or structure.

Kitsch - Art or objects that are considered to be in poor taste because of their excessive sentimentality or lack of originality.

Poltergeist - A ghost or other supernatural being that makes noise and causes objects to move.

Zeitnot - The feeling of being pressed for time or having limited time to complete a task. 

I've not heard of Bildungsroman, Fahrvergnugen not Zeitnot but the original list of ten are common enough. I then asked about Yiddish words:

Can you list ten native Yiddish words that have been adopted without change by the English language and in common use by native speakers of the English language?

Certainly! Here are ten Yiddish words commonly used in English:

Chutzpah - Nerve, audacity, or impudence.

Schmooze - To chat or make small talk in a friendly and persuasive manner.

Schlep - To carry or haul something heavy or awkward.

Kvetch - To complain or grumble persistently and annoyingly.

Nosh - To snack or eat a small amount of food.

Mensch - A person of integrity, honor, or kindness.

Shpiel - A long and elaborate speech or sales pitch.

Tchotchke - A small decorative object, trinket, or souvenir.

Oy vey - An expression of dismay, exasperation, or frustration.

Bagel - A type of bread roll that is shaped like a ring, boiled, and then baked.

I've not heard of Kvetch, Tchotchke or Oy vey but then again I don't live in the United States where such words would be heard more commonly. I then asked about French words:

Can you list ten native French words that have been adopted without change by the English language and in common use by native speakers of the English language?

Certainly! Here are ten French words commonly used in English:

Cuisine - Refers to the style of cooking, or a specific type of food, or a kitchen.

Déjà vu - The feeling that one has already experienced the present situation.

Fiancé - A person engaged to be married.

Ballet - A highly stylized form of dance, often performed to classical music.

Café - A small restaurant or coffeehouse, or a type of coffee.

Lingerie - Women's underwear or nightclothes.

Rendezvous - A meeting or appointment, or a designated meeting place.

Ménage à trois - A romantic or sexual relationship between three people.

Parfait - A dessert made of layers of ice cream, syrup, and other ingredients.

Hors d'oeuvre - A small appetizer or snack served before a meal.

All of these words I'm familiar with. I then asked about Spanish.

Can you list ten native Spanish words that have been adopted without change by the English language and in common use by native speakers of the English language?

Of course! Here are ten Spanish words commonly used in English:

Fiesta - A celebration or party.

Patio - An outdoor space, often used for dining or relaxing.

Burrito - A type of Mexican food consisting of a tortilla filled with beans, meat, cheese, and vegetables.

Siesta - A short nap or rest taken after lunch, especially in hot countries.

Guitar - A musical instrument with six strings played by strumming or plucking.

Salsa - A type of spicy sauce or dip, or a style of dance originating in Latin America.

Adios - A Spanish word used to say goodbye.

Plaza - A public square or marketplace.

Macho - A term used to describe a man who is assertive, strong, and dominant.

Taco - A type of Mexican food consisting of a tortilla filled with meat, beans, cheese, lettuce, and other ingredients.

WiFi Connectivity Problems with LinuxMint

I found that if I use my laptop in the bedroom where the signal strength is about 50% then the WiFi constantly prompts me for the password which should be automatically stored. Once supplied, I'm often prompted again and again and again. Sometimes it's satisfied but only for a while, then the prompts begins again.

The problem doesn't occur as much where the signal strength is stronger. I turned to Linux Forums and discovered the following suggested fix:

sudo sed -i 's/3/2/' /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/*

echo "options rtl8723be ips=N" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8723be.conf

After entering this into the terminal and rebooting, all seems well. No more prompts. Fingers crossed that the problem doesn't recur. Oops, just as I typed this the problem did recur. Well, sort off. The connection dropped briefly and then restored itself without prompting me for a password. I can handle those sorts of transient disruptions if they're not too frequent. 

What I'll do is to get on with my normal workflow and I'll report back on what's transpired in an hour or so. It's now 10:51pm ... so it 12:14am and the WiFi did drop out a couple of times but it soon reconnected and I was never once prompted for my password. While things are not ideal, I must say that overall I can live with the current minor disruptions.

More Language Practice with ChatGPT

The word restu popped up as the answer to a recent KATLA that I completed. I'd seen the word about which is why I entered it but had no idea of its meaning. I asked ChatGPT the following:

Can you explain the meaning of the Indonesian word restu and give an example of its use in a sentence? Could you also include any words that are related to it via prefix and suffix additions.

Here's what it came back with:

The Indonesian word restu can be translated to English as "blessing" or "approval." It refers to the act of giving or receiving approval, support, or consent from someone who is considered to have authority or power over a certain matter.

For example, a parent may give their restu to their child's decision to pursue a certain career or to marry a particular person. Similarly, a government may seek the restu of its citizens for a new policy or law.

Some related words via prefix addition include:

Menrestui: to approve or give one's blessing

Restukan: the act of giving one's blessing or approval

Some related words via suffix addition include:

Restui: approved or blessed

Restukanlah: please approve or give your blessing

There's a slight glitch in the answer as restukan involving adding the suffix kan but it's listed under prefixes. No matter, the explanation is quite lucid.

When services like ChatGPT get integrated into personal assistants like Siri, the resultant combination will be extremely useful. In terms of language learning, you could get it to ask questions in the language you are learning and get to grade your responses. These sorts of capabilities are not far off.

Here's another query I put to ChatGPT:

Can you use ten Indonesian words relating to travel or movement in ten separate sentences? After each sentence can be give the translation in English.

Sure, here are ten Indonesian words relating to travel or movement in ten separate sentences along with their English translations: 

• Pesawat terbang akan berangkat dalam satu jam. (Airplane will depart in one hour.) 

• Saya suka bepergian ke luar negeri untuk mencoba makanan baru. (I like to travel abroad to try new food.) 

• Dia naik sepeda ke kantor setiap hari. (He rides a bicycle to work every day.) 

• Mobil rental yang kami sewa sangat nyaman untuk dijalankan. (The rental car we rented was very comfortable to drive.) 

• Kereta api saya tertunda selama dua jam. (My train was delayed for two hours.) 

• Kapal pesiar itu akan berlayar ke pulau eksotis besok pagi. (The cruise ship will sail to the exotic island tomorrow morning.) 

• Saya mengunjungi museum untuk belajar tentang sejarah. (I visited the museum to learn about history.) 

• Taksi sangat sulit ditemukan pada jam sibuk di kota besar. (Taxis are very hard to find during rush hour in big cities.) 

• Bus antar-jemput kami tiba tepat waktu. (Our shuttle bus arrived on time.) 

• Sepeda motor merupakan kendaraan paling umum di Indonesia. (Motorcycles are the most common mode of transportation in Indonesia.)

Note: These sentences are written in standard Indonesian, but some regions or communities may have different variations or accents.

You learn a little everyday. Some words or phrases that I didn't know in the above list are:

• merupakan derives from rupa meaning "shape" and translates simply as "is".
  
  
• kendaraan paling umum - I'd always thought umum meant public but in fact it's an adjective meaning general. For example, I have a general idea of what's going on can be translated as Saya memiliki gambaran umum tentang apa yang terjadi. 
  
  
• Bus antar-jemput kami - shuttle bus.
  
  
• Taksi sangat sulit ditemukan - the structure is interesting here as we have the passive form of the verb menumukan and this is used rather than the active form. The word derives from temu meaning meeting and another very common related word is bertemu meaning "to meet".
  
  
• Kapal pesiar - cruise ship since pesiar translates as "cruise".
  
  
• bepergian - I haven't seen this derivative of pergi before.