International Journal Linguistics of Sumatra and Malay

Balinese verbs: ‘Mapetik’ and ‘Matatah’ meaning ‘to cut’ convey ritual values

I Nengah Sudipa, Ni Made Ayu Sulasmini, Ni Luh Supartini — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The aim of this writing is to discuss Balinese verbs conveying the meaning ‘to cut’ related to the sacred Hindu rites. They are referred to as the rituals of cutting hair ‘mapetik’ and tooth-filing ‘matatah’. The source of the data was from the conversations with Balinese people encountered during the ritual period. The data was collected by active participation, combined with observation and note-taking techniques. The collected data was analysed by metalanguage approach: mapping the meaning through language. Metalanguage manages to subtly map not only the meaning through entity, process, instrument(s), and the result, but the ritual values as well. The result showed that the rites with their conveyed values rely on the meaning of the respective verbs.

Euphemistic representations of death in armed criminal group eradication discourses in West Papua

I Dewa Putu Wijana, Adwidya Yoga — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This article is intended to describe various forms and strategies used by video clip narrators in creating death euphemistic expressions during eradication processes of Armed Criminal Group rebellion in West Papua. All data are collected from discourses of video clips narration concerning soft and hard approaches carried out by Indonesian police and Indonesian National Army. Based on careful analysis of the collected data, it is found that there are considerable differences regarding motivations between common or conventional death euphemistic expressions and ones used to described death in the separatist eradication. Most of death euphemisms found in video clips narration are motivated by ludic communicative functions of a language s be set in by the imbalance power of the two fighting parties. The linguistic forms of euphemistic expressions can be differentiated into words, phrases, and clauses. Finally, various strategies exploited to create them include figurative, remodeling, circumlocution, abbreviation, metonymy, hyperbole, and understatement.

Politeness strategies in film: A pragmatic analysis of dialogue in “the social network”

Abdul Kabeer Abdul Aziz, Haida Umiera Hashim — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This qualitative content analysis explored the application of politeness strategies by characters in the 2010 film The Social Network, guided by Brown and Levinson’s (1978) politeness theory. The study systematically examined the film’s dialogue to identify instances of positive politeness, negative politeness, bald on record, and off-record strategies. Data were drawn from the official screenplay and fan-generated transcripts to ensure comprehensive coverage and contextual accuracy. A coding manual was developed to enhance consistency in identifying and categorising the strategies. The findings shed light on how language functions as a strategic tool in navigating interpersonal dynamics, power relations, and conflict within the high-pressure tech industry portrayed in the film. By addressing a gap in research on cinematic communication, the study contributes to the broader fields of pragmatics, media discourse, and communication studies. The implications suggest that politeness strategies in film not only reflect real-world communicative norms but also provide insights for screenwriters, educators, and media analysts. Future research could expand on this analysis by comparing politeness strategies across different genres or cultural contexts.

Innovation of regional language learning media based on gamification for the revitalization of the Batak Toba language

M. Deny Effendy Tambusay — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The preservation of regional languages is crucial in maintaining national cultural identity. According to data from the Language Development and Cultivation Agency, in 2023, there will be 718 languages in Indonesia spread across 2,560 observation areas, with 11 declared extinct. One of the causes of language extinction is the apathy of speakers towards their language, especially among the younger generation, who tend to use slang. Opisada was developed as a regional language learning media based on gamification to support the revitalization of the Batak Toba language. In the initial trial phase, Opisada was implemented at SDN 173525 Balige, Toba Regency, North Sumatra, as part of language activities by the Language Ambassadors of North Sumatra in 2023. This study assesses whether Opisada can enhance the interest, knowledge, and skills in speaking Batak Toba through a game-based learning approach that integrates local cultural wisdom. The methods applied in this study include three main stages: preparation (needs analysis, material validation, instructional design), implementation (socialization, games, and mentoring), and evaluation (pre-test and post-test). A total of 20 students participated in this study. Learning scores were measured using the N-gain score, representing the standardized difference between the pre-test and post-test results. The average pre-test score increased from 4.05 to 13.35 in the post-test, with an average N-gain of 0.592, indicating a moderate improvement in Batak Toba language proficiency. Data analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 showed a significant improvement in Batak Toba language mastery. These findings suggest that Opisada is effective as an interactive and educational learning media, which has the potential to be developed as a prototype for regional language learning media in Indonesia to support the strengthening and revitalization of regional languages.

The function of controlling constituents for subject deletion in subordinative constructions in Acehnese

Muhammad Iqbal, Mulyadi, Ida Basaria, Dardanila — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This study aims to find the function of controlling constituents in Acehnese subordinative constructions. The function in question is “places” in the syntactic structure that will be filled with specific categories. This research employs qualitative research methods, incorporating note-taking and document review techniques. The data is presented in written text, rather than numbers or statistics. The data is obtained from various sources, such as sentences in Aceh language books, Aceh grammar books, and Aceh language dictionaries. The results show that controlling constituents in Acehnese subordinative constructions occupy only the functions of subject, object, complement, and adverb. These functions play a crucial role in connecting the main clause and the subordinate clause, thereby determining the overall meaning of the sentence. The subject-controlling constituent, as subject, object, complement, or adverb, plays a direct role in connecting the main clause and the subordinate clause. The subject in the subordinate clause refers to the subject, object, complement, and adverb in the main clause so that the subject in the subordinate clause can be omitted. It can be said that all these syntactic functions play an important role in controlling the subject in the subordinate clause.