LANGUAGE VARIETIES IN GRIME VALLEY JAYAPURA Regional Dialectological Study
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LANGUAGE VARIETIES
IN GRIME VALLEY JAYAPURA Regional Dialectological Study
CHRIST FAUTNGIL [email protected]
School for Graduated Study, Udayana University.
Promotor: Prof. Dr. Aron Meko Mbete
Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Letters, Udayana University Co-promotor I: Prof. Dr. Multamia Lauder, M.A.
Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Letters, Indonesian University Co-promotor II: Dr. Ni Made Dhanawaty, M.S.
Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Letters, Udayana University
ABSTRACT
A regional dialectological study is a research of mapping languages in an area, as what conducted in this study in Grime Valley Jayapura. This research is based on the theory of traditional dialectology currently known as a theory having normative rules to determine the status of a variety as a language, dialect, subdialect, difference in speaking and no difference in speaking, both in the valley and outside the valley.
The two language aspects employed as indicators are sound and lexical aspects. What is discussed from these two aspects is variation. In terms of sound aspect, discussion of variation covers sound description, correspondence, and calculation of sound distance from dialectometrie, phoneme inventory, and phoneme distribution. In terms of lexical aspect, lexical distribution and calculation of vocabulary distance from lexical dialectometrie are discussed. After that, varieties are classified, groupings of phonological and lexical varieties are compared, and the status of every variety, as a language, a dialect, sub-dialect and so on is identified.
Phonological study shows variation in correspondence aspect, calculation of sound distance, inventory, and phoneme distribution. Correspondence has various variations such as the existence of irregular sound which is unpredictable on each point of observation. Calculation of sound distance shows a difference, but the difference is limited to the point in which there is no difference in speaking. The inventory and distribution contain differences in number, type and existence of given phonemes.
Lexical study shows varied distribution at the middle and outskirts of the Valley. The calculation of vocabulary distance shows that there is no difference in language. Groupings of phonological and lexical varieties are different in number but identical in the points of observation. If identified in terms of language and dialect for the four varieties, namely Nimboran, Gresi, Kwansu and Kemtuk, it turns out that there are differences in language, that is, Nimboran, Kwansu and Kemtuk Gresi. In the previous studies, Kemtuk and Gresi were known as two languages, but in this calculation, the difference was in the level of dialect. Further study need to be conducted to investigate the relation of languages in Grime Valley with those in the surrounding areas. It is also necessary to conduct a diachronic research and to apply other theories.
Key words: varieties, phonology and lexical, language and dialect.
The fact that there is no definite number of languages and local dialects in Indonesia indicates that language inventory has not been totally and well done yet. One of the effective ways of inventorying languages is by mapping languages through dialectological studies all over Indonesia. This, however, has not been done yet.
This research is one of language mapping activities in Grime Valley Jayapura, Papua. This area is worth investigating for many factors, but the most basic one is its interesting linguistic situations which have not been mapped yet. What is intended by such interesting linguistic situations are the variations which take place at every linguistic level.
Based on the above explanation, the phonological and lexical levels should be focused on in this study. Their variations need to be paid particular attention to. Phonological variation includes sound description, correspondence, calculation of sound distance from phonological dialectometrie, inventory and phoneme distribution. Lexical variation includes lexical distribution and calculation of vocabulary distance from lexical dialectometrie. These two aspects of variations also need to be compared.
In addition to the above matters, the status of the existing language varieties in Grime valley is also very essential in this study. The status intended here is the status of a variety as a language, dialect, sub dialect and so on based on the existing criteria. The main criterion is the result of calculation of phonological and lexical dialectometrie by Seguy 1973 (in Ayatrohaedi, 1985:59) with the difference suggested by Guiter (1973:96). The existing criterion is known as traditional dialectological method which is still applied until now.
The result of the above calculation shows that there are three languages, namely Nimboran, Kwansu and Kemtuk Gresi. The varieties of Kemtuk and Gresi have been known as two languages so far (Silzer and Caluse, 1991), but in this calculation they are just different dialects. The difference in dialect occurs in varieties of Kemtuk and Gresi. The difference in sub dialect occurs in Berap. The difference in speaking takes place in the varieties of Singgriwai, Sawoi, Gresi,
Kemtuk, and Daimokati. The varieties of Berap and Singgriwai are found in Nimboran language; the varieties of Sawoi and Gresi are found in Gresi dialect; varieties of Kemtuk and Daimoikati are found in Kemtuk dialect.
Diachronic studies and application of other theories need to be conducted in the future. Investigation of the relation of languages in Grime Valley and those in the surrounding areas is also so essential to carry out. In addition, attention should also be paid to the researches on historical background, geography, and social culture.
The result of this research shows that theoretically phonological varieties are significantly different although they are only different in the level of dialects. For example, Kemtuk and Gresi are different in terms of phoneme inventory and phoneme distribution. Nimboran and Kwansu, Nimboran and Gresi, Kemtuk and Kwansu are too. All of the varieties are different in total, type, inventory and distribution. With regard to inventory, for example, the difference is in total, that is, Nimboran variety has 24 phonemes, Gresi variety has 25 phonemes, Kemtuk variety has 22 phonemes and Kwansu variety has 23 phonemes. Matters related to phonemes occur in some sounds such as [c], [f], [j], [š], [η] which, in certain varieties, appear as phonemes but in the other varieties as allophones.
The other two interesting phonological matters are language sound complexity and sound irregularity on various points of observation. The complexity is on vocoid and contoid sound sequences. These sounds are identified as single sound, that is, pre-nasalized sounds mb, nd, ηg and diphthongs ai, au, oi, ou, ua, uε, uo, ui and ei. In addition to pre-nasalized and diphthong sounds, there are also clusters and two-sound sequence both vocoid and contoid. The clusters are like bř, gř, kř, sř, kw.
Lexical variation includes two matters; they are lexical distribution and calculation of vocabulary distance from lexical dialectometrie. In the lexical distribution a given existence of distribution on 30 points of observation is discussed. There is a given wide distribution, meaning that there are more than 50% of points of observation and there is also a given distribution on some points
of distributions. Compare the distribution intended here with that from one point of observation as made by Lauder (1993:225).
The calculation of vocabulary distance from lexical dialectometrie produces groups of points of observation which show difference in language, dialect, sub dialect, and difference and no difference in speaking. Then this calculation is used as the basis for further discussions. It means that this calculation is used as the basis and then is compared with lexical distribution, calculation of sound distance, the result of correspondence grouping, inventory grouping and distribution.
The other observation made in this study is the comparison of language variety groupings in terms of phonology and lexical items. Such a grouping seems important as these two fields have never been compared yet. Even, in the previous dialectological studies especially those which applied structural theory (Bawa, 1983) and generative theory Putu Putra, 2007), it was interesting. They discussed a lot about phonological aspects, lexical groupings with dialectometrie which were always employed for assorting languages, dialects, sub dialects, difference in speaking and no difference in speaking.
The results of such a comparison made in this study of the two fields show an interesting thing. It turns out that the two fields, although different in terms of the total of groupings, the results of the groupings are similar on certain points of observation. Phonologically, for example, seven groups of varieties are identified and lexically, eight groups of varieties are produced. The points of observation which form these groups are similar, although the totals are different. To make it clear, it is necessary to show those groups and points of observation as follows: phonological varieties making Pon 1 is TP 1; Pon 2 are TP2 – 14, 29, 30; Pon 3 are TP 15 and 20; Pon 4 are TP 16 – 19; Pon 5 are TP 21 – 22; Pon 6 are TP 23 – 27; Pon 7 is TP 28. Lexical varieties total 8 making Lex 1 is TP1; Lex 2 are TP 2 – 6, 9 – 14, 29, 30; Lex 3 are TP 7 – 8; Lex 4 are TP 15 and 20; Lex are TP 16 – 19; Lex 7 are TP 23 – 27; Lex 8 is TP 28. Lexically, the difference is on TP 7 – 8 ; phonologically, the difference is none. Both TPs are found in Nimbora Varieties.
Finally, it is necessary to state here that phonological variation can be
investigated as the material which probably breaks the linguistic theories so far found.
This research has produced four final results related to the problems and the objectives of the research. The four results are (1) phonological varieties, (2) lexical varieties, (3) are the identifications of phonological and lexical varieties similar, (4) identification of the status of the existing varieties as languages, dialects, sub dialects, difference in speaking , and no difference in speaking.
Phonological varieties show sufficiently significant variation in terms of sound correspondence; calculation of sound distance, sound inventory, and phonemic distribution. As far as correspondence is concerned, it varies especially on the points of observation in which the sounds correspond inconsistently. The calculation of sound distance which identifies sound status on each point of observation also varies. The final result shows that the degree of difference is only the difference in speaking and no difference in speaking. There is no difference in the levels of sub dialects, dialects and languages.
Lexical varieties produce lexical distribution and result of calculation of vocabulary distance. The lexical distribution is counted on the basis of given numbers consisting of 2898. Out of this, only 150 given in 150 maps with wide distribution. The given 150 are further divided into two; they are: that which is made of one lexical item totaling 37 and that which is made of two totaling 83.
The varieties identified in sound and lexical items are different in number, that is, sound varieties total seven and lexical varieties total eight, but they are similar in the groupings of points of observation. The last identification produces the status of those varieties; there are three languages, two dialects, one sub dialect, five differences in speaking and no difference in speaking. It is expected that this will be theoretically and practically useful to those who need it
Ayatrohaedi, 1985. Sunda Language in Cirebon area. Jakarta: Balai Pustaka
Bawa, I Wayan. 1983. “Balinese Language in Bali Province” Dissertation.
Jakarta: Indonesia University
Guiter, Henri. 1973. “Atlas et frontier linguistique” Drf: 61-109
Lauder, Multamia R.M.T. 1993. Mapping and Languages Distribution in Tangerang”. Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa
Putu Putra, Anak Agung. 2007. “Dialectical Segmentation of Sundanese in Sumba Island”: A Dialectology Study” Dissertation. Denpasar: Post Graduate of Linguistic, Doctoral Degree, Udayana University.
Seguy, Jean. 1973. “La Dialectometrie dans 1’ Atlas linguistique de la Gascogne” RLir 37: 1-24
Silzer, Pieter J and Helja H. Clouse. 1991. Index of Irian Jaya Languages. A Special Publication of IRIAN BULLETIN OF IRIAN JAYA.
This study is an extended activity to map languages in Jayapura and its surrounding. Grime valley belongs to Jayapura Regency next to Sentani whose language mapping has been made. As its language mapping has not been made, a dialectogical research is necessarily conducted. This research has also been inspired by the researches conducted by Bawa (1983) in Bali and Lauder (1993) in Tangerang.
The late Prof. Dr. I Wayan Bawa initially motivated and supervised the research. He, however, passed away in the middle of his supervision. Then he was replaced by Prof. Dr. Aron Meko Mbete, assisted by Prof. Dr. Multamia R.M.T. Lauder and Dr. Ni Made Dhanawaty, M.S. Therefore, my deep and sincere thanks go to them.
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