Does The Moro Kris Exhibit True Pamor

A. G. Maisey · 18th March 2008, 12:23 AM

As already noted, "pamor" is a Javanese and Malay word. It means "mixed", or "alloyed".

A Javanese person who sees pattern welded steel, or mechanical damascus will call it it "pamor".

If we talk about a specific pamor, we first identify what it is that we are talking about, ie, "pamor", then we give it the descriptor, eg, "udan mas", so we have:- pamor udan mas.

If we are considering , say, a piece of mechanical damascus with a random pattern, we might say that it is "pamor like wos wutah".

However, once the word pamor moves outside the Javanese or Malay languages and becomes a loan word in another language, then the users of that language that has adopted the loan word will define the meaning of the word for use in that new language. Thus, if "pamor" becomes a loan word in the English language, then the English speakers can decide what that word means to them, in English. Perhaps they might decide that "pamor" only refers to Indonesian and Malaysian pattern welding. This would be reasonable, since they already have words to describe pattern welding in other cultures.

However, there can be no doubt that the nature of pamor, the nature of mechanical damascus, the nature of pattern welded ferric material are all the same, and they are seen as such by the people who own the word "pamor", that is, the speakers of Javanese, and the Malay languages.

Now, we started to talk here about the Moro keris:- does the Moro keris have pamor or not?

An English speaker who does not know the word "pamor" will say that the pattern in a Moro blade is "pattern welding", or perhaps "damascus".

A Javanese speaker will say that the pattern in a Moro keris is "pamor".

What do the people who have the Moro style keris as a part of their culture call that which a speaker of Javanese would call "pamor"?

I think this is the question that must be answered, not what we who are not a part of that culture might want to call it.

18th March 2008, 12:23 AM	#10
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	As already noted, "pamor" is a Javanese and Malay word. It means "mixed", or "alloyed". A Javanese person who sees pattern welded steel, or mechanical damascus will call it it "pamor". If we talk about a specific pamor, we first identify what it is that we are talking about, ie, "pamor", then we give it the descriptor, eg, "udan mas", so we have:- pamor udan mas. If we are considering , say, a piece of mechanical damascus with a random pattern, we might say that it is "pamor like wos wutah". However, once the word pamor moves outside the Javanese or Malay languages and becomes a loan word in another language, then the users of that language that has adopted the loan word will define the meaning of the word for use in that new language. Thus, if "pamor" becomes a loan word in the English language, then the English speakers can decide what that word means to them, in English. Perhaps they might decide that "pamor" only refers to Indonesian and Malaysian pattern welding. This would be reasonable, since they already have words to describe pattern welding in other cultures. However, there can be no doubt that the nature of pamor, the nature of mechanical damascus, the nature of pattern welded ferric material are all the same, and they are seen as such by the people who own the word "pamor", that is, the speakers of Javanese, and the Malay languages. Now, we started to talk here about the Moro keris:- does the Moro keris have pamor or not? An English speaker who does not know the word "pamor" will say that the pattern in a Moro blade is "pattern welding", or perhaps "damascus". A Javanese speaker will say that the pattern in a Moro keris is "pamor". What do the people who have the Moro style keris as a part of their culture call that which a speaker of Javanese would call "pamor"? I think this is the question that must be answered, not what we who are not a part of that culture might want to call it.