Language Relations in Kaili Cultural Speech: An Ethnolinguistic Study

Afriyanti Afriyanti; Moh. Tahir; Ulinsa Ulinsa; Gazali Gazali; Syamsuddin Syamsuddin

doi:10.58421/gehu.v5i5.2107

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58421/gehu.v5i5.2107

Authors

Afriyanti Afriyanti Universitas Tadulako
Moh. Tahir Universitas Tadulako
Ulinsa Ulinsa Universitas Tadulako
Gazali Gazali Universitas Tadulako
Syamsuddin Syamsuddin Universitas Tadulako

Keywords:

Kaili Ledo Dialect, Cultural Utterances, Ethnolinguistics, Language Relations, Cultural Meaning, Cultural Functions, Cultural Preservation

Abstract

This study aims to describe the form, meaning, and function of language relations in Kaili cultural utterances of the Ledo dialect across four traditional ceremonies: nosakaya (thanksgiving), nompakava (traditional wedding), notanda (death/mourning), and nolita (customary deliberation), as spoken by the Kaili community in Sambo Village, South Dolo Subdistrict, Sigi Regency. This research employs a descriptive qualitative method within an ethnolinguistic framework. The data consist of oral utterances in the Kaili Ledo dialect sourced from tobalu ada (customary elders) and native speakers as informants. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model comprising data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. Meaning was interpreted through a hermeneutic approach, while function was analyzed through a pragmatic approach. The findings reveal four forms of language relation: lexical relation, evident in the distinctive lexicon of the nolita forum (sintuvu, rapaka, kana); structural relation, shown in the triadic repetition of the opening utterance in nosakaya; functional relation, seen in the prohibitive customary utterances of notanda; and symbolic relation, represented by the betel-nut (bosi) presentation utterance in nompakava. These forms represent three types of meaning (lexical, cultural, symbolic) and carry five functions for the socio-cultural life of the Kaili people: ritual, normative/social, identity, integrative, and social-hierarchy functions. The study concludes that language and culture in the Kaili community are mutually interrelated and complementary, underscoring the importance of documenting these cultural utterances as an effort to preserve the community's cultural values, which are currently under threat of extinction.

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