Bokis

The word bokis is a product of the Jakarta “prokem” word-formation system, a secret language code that developed among youth and urban communities in Jakarta from the 1970s to 1980s. The prokem system typically works by inserting specific syllables between the original syllables of a word, or by rearranging and scrambling phonemes. The word bokis is believed to derive from the standard Indonesian word bisa (meaning “can” or “able”), whose base phonemes underwent a characteristic prokem modification process, producing a different form that remains understood by speakers within the same community. The use of bokis reflects the social identity of its speakers as part of the Jakarta urban community, and the word circulates primarily in oral conversations among teenagers or peers. Over time, this word did not gain as much widespread use as other prokem terms, and its usage tends to be limited to specific social circles.