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That's a good point. Now that I think about it, the Indonesians from whom I heard "bahasa" were actually also native Javanese speakers. Bahasa Indonesia is of c

by tombh 5y ago

That's a good point. Now that I think about it, the Indonesians from whom I heard "bahasa" were actually also native Javanese speakers. Bahasa Indonesia is of course a lingua franca, and an increasingly imposing one for minority languages, so maybe that could be a possible source for your point that there are different connotations for insiders and outsiders. I didn't get your point about "this country". The only thing I know is how it's inappropriate outside the USA, or in a global context, to use America to mean the USA, as of course the rest of the Americas also exist.

Sharlin 5y ago
The OP's point was that even if you're American, using the phrase "this country" to refer to the US, when you're actually outside the US, is wrong, unlike, say "my country" or "our country". Similarly, it seems "bahasa" is inherently context-sensitive, like saying "our language", which is wrong if the speaker doesn't actually speak the language.
- tombh 5y ago
  Thanks. Though I still don't understand, it just seems non-sensical to use "this country" when you're outside the country in question, likes it's just a fundamental error of grammar. Can you give me a specific example?
  - Sharlin 5y ago
    Yes, it's non-sensical, just like it's non-sensical to use a word that basically means "our language" when it's not actually a language that you speak. (Not a grammatical error though, but rather a semantic error, a dangling reference as it were!) Let's say you don't speak German but keep hearing Germany referred to as "Vaterland" in the media. You might deduce that the word "Vaterland" is synonymous with Germany, and start using it yourself to refer to the country, but that would be wrong, because the word (without additional context) simply means "homeland", typically the speaker's homeland, whatever country that is.
    - tombh 5y ago
      Ahhh, great thanks, I was just overthinking it then

by tombh 5y ago

Sharlin 5y ago

The OP's point was that even if you're American, using the phrase "this country" to refer to the US, when you're actually outside the US, is wrong, unlike, say "my country" or "our country". Similarly, it seems "bahasa" is inherently context-sensitive, like saying "our language", which is wrong if the speaker doesn't actually speak the language.

tombh 5y ago
Thanks. Though I still don't understand, it just seems non-sensical to use "this country" when you're outside the country in question, likes it's just a fundamental error of grammar. Can you give me a specific example?
- Sharlin 5y ago
  Yes, it's non-sensical, just like it's non-sensical to use a word that basically means "our language" when it's not actually a language that you speak. (Not a grammatical error though, but rather a semantic error, a dangling reference as it were!) Let's say you don't speak German but keep hearing Germany referred to as "Vaterland" in the media. You might deduce that the word "Vaterland" is synonymous with Germany, and start using it yourself to refer to the country, but that would be wrong, because the word (without additional context) simply means "homeland", typically the speaker's homeland, whatever country that is.
  - tombh 5y ago
    Ahhh, great thanks, I was just overthinking it then