Iku

The word iku is a distal demonstrative in the ngoko_lugu register of Javanese, equivalent to “itu” (that) in Standard Indonesian. It refers to something physically or contextually distant from the speaker, as opposed to iki, which refers to something nearby. Javanese employs a three-tier demonstrative system based on spatial distance: iki (proximal, near the speaker), iku (medial or distal, away from the speaker), and kae (remote, out of sight or very far). This tripartite deictic system is a well-preserved feature inherited from the broader Austronesian language family. In the krama register, the formal equivalent of iku is menika or punika, used when addressing elders or socially superior individuals. Correct usage of iku versus its polite counterparts reflects a speaker's mastery of the Javanese “unggah-ungguh” (speech etiquette) system.