Andal or Handal? Identifying the Superfluous H

The emergence of the variant 'handal' is caused by the phenomenon of hypercorrection, where speakers tend to add an 'h' sound to provide an emphasis that is perceived as more formal or firmer when spoken. Additionally, the influence of several words in the Malay language family with similar patterns often confuses language users in determining the standard form.

The word 'andal' is rooted in Old Javanese, meaning to trust or to place confidence in. In the evolution of the Indonesian language, this word was absorbed entirely without the consonant 'h' at the beginning. Its base meaning is closely related to the stability and resilience of a subject in performing a task.

Socially, the use of 'handal' is deeply ingrained in professional and marketing circles in Indonesia. Many companies use this variant in advertisements or job descriptions because it is perceived to sound more authoritative and assertive than the original word, despite being linguistically incorrect.