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This means that a sultan always has to use the low language and the servants the high language when talking to each other. Village school teachers address pupils in ngoko and the pupils answer back in kromo. Their language also shows the Javanese to have an obsession with politeness. You never ask a tailor outright 'How much?' but instead 'What will it be in exchange for the thread?'. For your wife you say 'friend in the back of the house.' Two different speech tones, a/us (polite) and kasar (crude) are used. One is very soft, slow, tender, the other hard, loud, rough, rapid. In wayang performances you can easily hear the difference between the good guys and the bad guys, the well-bred knight and the uncouth giant.