The Context of 'Kuring' and Its Synonyms

There are several words which bear function as the first singular personal pronoun. The words in question are  kuring [koo-ring], dewek [de-wek], aing [a-ing], abdi [ab-di] and simkuring [sim-koo-ring]. 

Which one to be used? Don't be confused. In fact, these first singular personal pronouns have different contexts. What we have to do is considering the contexts, whether the speech act to be conducted is formal or informal, polite or inpolite. 

Kuring is the most common pronoun, especially in informal or friendly speech. Character in short stories usually refers to herself as kuring, e.g. 'kuring indit ka sakola' (I go to school). The word simkuring and abdi are usually used in formal and polite speech, while aing (and also dewek) tends to be inpolite.

The word abdi (which literally means 'servant') is very polite. One can uses it not only to her fellow, but also to God. For example, one can expresses, 'Nun, Gusti, abdi peryogi artos' (O, my Lord, I need some money).

As for the word aing and dewek, one can uses the words when she talks to her best friend, especially in an informal situation. It is also common for one to use the words when she speaks to herself. And don't forget to use the words when you are angry with someone. (Are we angry with ourselves? I have no idea.)

Please note that in Sundanese part of speech there is no difference between subject and object which refer to the first personal pronoun. In English we differentiate 'I' from 'me', for instance. Yet in Sundanese language,  the word kuring could bear function both as subject and object. For example, the expression 'she gives the book to me' may be translated into Sundanese as manehna mikeun eta buku ka kuring.  

What is pancakaki?

Sundanese people have a fondness for kinship relation among each other. It is quite normal if a speaker of Sundanese language ask one these questions: 'How old are you? Are you married? How many children do you have? Who are your parents? Where do you live?' Etc. By means of such questions the speaker is attempting to know how close (or how far)  her/his fellow with her/himself.  

This is perhaps not just an act to introduce oneself, or an act to know one's fellow, in the first encounter. This is an act to know each other personally while considering a degree of relationship to be developed. And this would be a nice introduction of a conversation.

This paticular way of conducting a conversation is called pancakaki [pan-cha-ka-kee]. According to Hardjadibrata's dictionary, the word pancakaki may be defined as 'degree of relationship, kinship relations where one stands in respect to others.' 

From sociolinguistics point of view, the pancakaki may appeared as an integral part of a conventional way to realize social position of the selves that are involved in a conversation. As a consequence of the different social positions, the participants of a conversation has to realize a proper speech level to be conducted. In other words, the pancakaki seems to be prerequisite for realizing a proper speech level.  

Today, in harmony with social changes, among Sundanese people there are ones that have suggested their fellows to take the matter of speech level easy. We do not need to differentiate people on the basis of their social position. Humanity is one. Moreover, this is the time of a democratic life, and we are supposed to be egalitarian.