Bule
Encyclopedia
Bule (ˈbule) is a commonly used word in Indonesia
to describe a foreigner, especially Caucasians.
Many dictionaries point out that the strict definition of the word is albino. However, this definition have lost usage in both spoken and written form over the English loanword, albino. The meaning of the word has shifted into foreigner
, Caucasians
, even fair-skinned Indonesians and those with the slightest hint of European descent. Because of the frequent use to describe foreigners, it stems the terms Bule Arab for fair-skinned Middle Easterners and people with Middle Eastern descent, and Bule Afrika for foreigners with African descent and sometimes as a humorous, though not necessarily offensive, term for people with very dark skin.
In spoken form, the word may be used by street vendors to attract tourists or foreigners' attention. Because of the common misinterpretation by westerners that the word is insulting, the more cautious of the street vendors use the term Mister, which foreigners find more polite. Indonesians however, sometimes find the word humorous, as simply pointing from afar at a foreigner and saying "Look! A bule" might provoke laughter.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
to describe a foreigner, especially Caucasians.
Many dictionaries point out that the strict definition of the word is albino. However, this definition have lost usage in both spoken and written form over the English loanword, albino. The meaning of the word has shifted into foreigner
Alien (law)
In law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:*An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...
, Caucasians
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
, even fair-skinned Indonesians and those with the slightest hint of European descent. Because of the frequent use to describe foreigners, it stems the terms Bule Arab for fair-skinned Middle Easterners and people with Middle Eastern descent, and Bule Afrika for foreigners with African descent and sometimes as a humorous, though not necessarily offensive, term for people with very dark skin.
In spoken form, the word may be used by street vendors to attract tourists or foreigners' attention. Because of the common misinterpretation by westerners that the word is insulting, the more cautious of the street vendors use the term Mister, which foreigners find more polite. Indonesians however, sometimes find the word humorous, as simply pointing from afar at a foreigner and saying "Look! A bule" might provoke laughter.