THE SEMANTIC STRUCTURE ANALYSIS OF THE ENGLISH PROVERBS FOUND IN THE ENGLISH POCKET DICTIONARY

ISSN: 2302-920X

E-Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Sastra dan Budaya Unud

Vol 15.3 Juni 2016: 116-121

THE SEMANTIC STRUCTURE ANALYSIS OF THE ENGLISH PROVERBS FOUND IN THE ENGLISH POCKET DICTIONARY

Made Mudya Santranatha

email: mudyasantranatha@yahoo.com

English Department, Faculty of Letters and Culture, Udayana University

Abstrak

Studi yang berjudul The Semantic Structure Analysis Of The English Proverbs Found In The English Pocket Dictionary ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan arti dari peribahasa berdasarkan struktur semantik. Studi ini difokuskan kepada analisis struktur semantik dan arti konotasi yang ada pada peribahasa.

Studi ini menggunakan peribahasa yang ada pada English Pocket Dictionary sebagai data dan dianalisis dengan metode kualitatif dan metode dokumentasi. Teori yang digunakan untuk menganalisis data adalah teori dari Anna Wierzbicka tentang struktur semantik melalui metode eksplikasi dan Cristopher Russell Reaske tentang arti konotasi.

Dalam studi ini dipilih 8 dari 30 peribahasa secara keseluruhan yang ada pada English Pocket Dictionary. Analisis data berawal dari eksplikasi peribahasa berdasarkan kata verbanya yang membangun arti inti dari peribahasa tersebut. Setelah mendapatkan arti inti kemudian menetapkan arti konotasi dengan penjelasan beberapa komponen dari ekplikasi tersebut.

Temuan dari studi ini menyatakan bahwa terdapat perbedaan struktur semantik karena kata verba yang membangun peribahasa tersebut berbeda. Hal ini dapat diketahui dari ekplikasi yang berbeda pada masing-masing peribahasa yang membentuk arti konotasi tersebut. Studi ini membuktikan bahwa arti konotasi dapat dilihat dari arti inti karena adanya hubungan antara arti konotasi dan arti inti.

Keywords: peribahasa, struktur, eksplikasi, arti

• 1.    Background of the Study

Language is an instrument for conveying meaning. Every language has a meaning because language without meaning is meaningless. In an oral language such as a written text or sentence, the structure is important to derive the meaning as its communicative purpose. Specifically, beside as a communicative purpose, language can be used for artistic purpose such in the poem and proverb. Proverb is a short well-known saying that

states a general truth or gives advice. The proverb is picked as the primary data because it plays an influential role in literary works. The proverbs are important to be analyzed because when identify the meaning, it is often misunderstood and mistranslated in some literary works. The aim of the study in this writing is to identify the proverb from its structure and then form the meaning that has a sense with the life. The semantic structure of the proverbs was investigated in this writing because it is the essence and substance to identify the meaning.

• 2.    Problems

Based on the background, the problems are specifically presented and focus on two following questions:

• a)    What is the semantic structure of the English proverbs?

• b)    What is the meaning of the English proverbs?

• 3.    Aims

• a)    To describe the semantic structure by used an explication.

• b)    To analyze the meaning of the English proverbs.

• 4.    Research Method

The primary data in this paper was the proverbs which directly taken from English Pocket Dictionary published in 2014 by Tini K. The method and technique used in collecting data is documentation method because to require the data, deals with the book as the theory. The data in this study was analyzed qualitatively by used NSM theory by Anna Wierzbicka (1996).

• 5.    Result and Discussion

This chapter is the overall main discussion about the semantic structure of English proverbs in the English Pocket Dictionary. The English proverbs are analyzed semantically by used NSM theory explication and resulted the meaning of the proverbs. The data analysis presented of 8 proverbs which were taken from English Pocket Dictionary as the following:

• a.    The meaning of “make” in practice makes perfect.

Based on the dictionary, the verb make can be seen as the mean of create or deliver something where the latter is influenced through the result of the action. However, the connotative meaning of the verb make in the proverb practice makes perfect is result something. The resulting process started from creates something which going to be impacted into the person himself (someone). The essence point is about by doing some actions help to resulted becoming what a person wanted. The meaning of the proverb as a whole is doing some actions help to resulting become very good at it.

• b.    The meaning of “bring” in all clouds bring not rain.

The description of the dictionary, the verb bring can be seen as cause and make someone or something to be in or changed and move to the place where there is someone or something. Differently in the proverb all clouds bring not rain, the connotative meaning of the verb bring is cause something. The meaning of the proverb as a whole is sometimes there are many problems in mind to be worried, but in fact, it is not as serious as thought or even it is not a problem and not causes anything.

• c.    The meaning of “judge” in don’t judge a book by its cover.

According to dictionary the action of judge can be seen as a personal action in the terms of considered that resulted something which closed to somebody or something characteristic. However, the connotative meaning of the verb judge in the proverb don’t judge a book by its cover is rather to effect something. The substance of the effect is actually about the perception of someone what will he think before judging. The meaning of the proverb as a whole is something would be differently presented than they really are.

• d.    The meaning of “show” in good blood always shows itself.

About the explanation in dictionary, showing something is in the sense of make to know and see that thing. It implies that the person did not know the thing before, until it is shown to him. However, the connotative meaning of the verb 118

show in the proverb good blood always shows itself is reveal something. The substance of this proverb is the truth, both of good or wrong, the fact is going to be revealed. The meaning of the proverb as a whole is the rightness is going to be revealed although at first it is unseen; in the end it is certainly revealed.

• e.    The meaning of “come” in good things come to those who wait.

Literally on dictionary, the verb come can be defined as a movement of someone or something. It can be elaborated as move to, towards into, from one place where the person (hearer) is, to the place where there is someone (speaker). However, the connotative meaning of the verb come in the proverb good things come to those who wait is get or have something. The substance of get and have something is the desire of someone who definitely wants it, will have it. The meaning of the proverb as a whole is someone is going to have a good things or something that they wanted by doing something.

• f.    The meaning of “give” in he gives twice who gives in a trice.

The meaning of give based on dictionary has to be perceived as other among senses of transferring. It is an entity transfer from one to another and does not have to do anything in return by the latter. However, the connotative meaning of the verb give in the proverb he gives twice who gives in a trice is do something. The essence is described about if someone doing something (doubling the action), a person will give something. The meaning of the proverb as a whole is someone will have something more if they want to work hard.

• g.    The meaning of “help” in God helps those who helps themselves.

Generally on dictionary, the meaning of help is to make easier for someone to do something by offer a service or assisted which a person who help and a person being helped are agreed each other to finish something together. However, the connotative meaning of the verb help in the proverb God helps those who helps themselves is doing something. It means, as a substance is there is a way if someone wants to do something. The meaning of the proverb as a whole is there 119

must be way to someone who work hard, have independence, and not only wait for it is happened.

• h.    The meaning of “need” in a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Typically the verb need according to dictionary means something what is wanted or desired by someone. It is commonly represented to require (something) because it is important to be required necessarily. However, the connotative meaning of the verb need in the proverb a friend in need is a friend indeed is help something. Helping in this concept is like industrious and helpful person who helps someone in a difficult situation is like a friend indeed. The meaning of the proverb as a whole is a person who helps someone in a difficult situation is like a friend indeed.

• 6.    Conclusion

Based on the analysis of the semantic structure of the proverbs, it can be concluded into some conclusive points. The semantic structure can be traced by NSM theory through the explication of the proverbs. It is resulted that all of the proverbs have different semantic structure or meaning because the explication of each proverb is not the same. The semantic structure cannot be separated from the analysis of the verb because it is the foundation which created the role of the proverb. The semantic structure of the proverbs start with the analysis of the verb make, bring, judge, show, come, give, help, need which formed the essential meaning and those verbs has connotative meaning that is result, cause, effect, reveal, get, do, doing, help.

In the concept of meaning, the connotative meaning of the proverbs can be discovered through the explication. Mostly of the proverbs has connotative meaning because it is the observation and experiences of human life which can be differently expressed based on their backgrounds. In order to acknowledge the connotative meaning, it is necessarily recognized the denotative meaning first. The connotative 120

meaning is the extended point of the denotative meaning, and by reviewed both of the analysis of meaning, it is indicated that there is a relation between denotative and connotative meaning in the semantic view.

• 7.    Bibliography

Reaske, Christopher Russell. 1966. How to Analyze Poetry. United State of America: Monarchi Press.

Wierzbicka, Anna. 1996. Semantics, Primes, and Universals. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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