ISSN: 2302-920X

Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud

Vol 18.2 Pebruari 2017: 153-160

Compound Words in BBC News Website

Kezia Ariantji Turangan1*, Ida Ayu Made Puspani2, Ni Luh Putu Krisnawati3

[123]English Department Faculty of Arts, Udayana University

1[keziaturangan95@gmail.com] 2[dayupuspani@yahoo.com]

3[inacrisna@gmail.com]

*

Corresponding Author

Abstrak

Skripsi ini berjudul “Kata Majemuk pada Website Berita BBC”. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi dan mengklasifikasi jenis-jenis kata majemuk pada Website Berita BBC dan juga menentukan makna dari kata majemuk yang muncul pada Website Berita BBC. Sumber data penelitian ini diambil dari Website Berita BBC, sebuah website yang memungkinkan para pengguna untuk mendapatkan berita aktual, video, audio, maupun artikel-artikel lainnya. Metoda yang digunakan dalam pengumpulan data adalah metoda dokumentasi dengan teknik pencatatan. Metoda deskriptif kwalitatif digunakan dalam menganalisa data yang telah terkumpul.

Teori yang digunakan untuk menganalisa data adalah teori kata majemuk oleh Plag (2003) dan Lieber (2009). Makna kata majemuk ditentukan dengan menggunakan teori makna oleh Palmer (1984). Berdasarkan teori kata majemuk oleh Plag (2003), hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat empat jenis kata majemuk yang ditemukan pada Webiste Berita BBC, yaitu nominal compound, adjectival compound, verbal compound, dan neoclassical compound. Selain itu, terdapat dua jenis makna yang ditemukan pada analisa data, yaitu makna transparan dan makna opaque.

  • 1.    Background of the Study

In this era, globalization becomes a global phenomenon that cannot be avoided by the society. Globalization is considered a global phenomenon that makes everything seem easier and simpler. One of the benefits that has been caused by globalization can be seen from the aspect of communication and information. People that live in different countries are able to know any

information about what is happening in other countries at the same time. The spread of information becomes fast and faster and it seems like there is no border between one country and another. People can get the information or news just by sitting in the house and watching television, listening to the radio, or reading news on magazines or newspapers. By developing of technologies, news is not only presented on printed out papers but also there is a digital way of getting different types of news from countries around of the world. News which is not printed out on paper and can be read through the internet is called digital news.

Digital news has brought easier way for people to get various news every time and everywhere they want to. One of the digital news websites is BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) which is the public service broadcaster of the United Kingdom. This news website contains a lot of news that can be read by people around the world. The news texts on this website contain new words that are related to word formation, especially compounding. According to Plag (2003), compounds are the combination of two words to form a new word. Compounding is the most productive type of word formation process in English as stated also by Plag (2003).

The creations of compound words depend on the creativity that language users have chosen. Compounding process is not only about creating news words, but also creating new meaning. Plag (2003) stated that compounding has four types such as nominal compounds, adjectival compounds, verbal compounds, and neo-classical compounds. Compound words can be found in the news texts of BBC website.

This present study discusses the types of compound words that occur in BBC news website. Besides, this study also discusses the meaning of compound nouns which is considered important since it might have different new meaning after the word is combined with other word.

  • 2.    Problems of the Study

Based on the background of the study above, there are two problems that can be formulated as follows:

  • 1.    What are the types of compound words occurring in BBC news website? 2. What are the meanings of compound words occuring in BBC news website?

  • 3.    Aims of the Study

In line with the research problems, this study has two aims as follows:

  • 1.    To identify the types of compound words in BBC news website.

  • 2.    To analyze the meaning of compound words in BBC news website.

  • 4.    Research Method

Documentation method was used to collect the data in this study which means that the data were taken from written material, news texts in BBC News Website. Meanwhile, descriptive qualitative method was used to analyze the data in this study which means that the information gathered is not in numerical form. Qualitative method was applied to analyzing data in order to give a deep explanation descriptively. Descriptive qualitative method was used to classify the types of compound words based on the theory by Plag (2003) and Lieber (2009) and to analyze the meaning of compound words based on the theory of meaning by Palmer (1984).

  • 5.    Findings and Discussions

The discussions present the analysis of types and meaning of compound words found in BBC News Website using the theory proposed by Plag (2003), Lieber (2009), and Palmer (1984).

  • 1.    Nominal Compound

Table 1. Nominal Compound

No.

Compound

Word

Pattern

Form

1.

Black market

black + market

Adj + N=N

Open form

2.

Cameraman

camera + man

N + N=N

Closed form

  • 1.    Black market

The word ʻblackʼ has lexical meaning ʻthe very darkest color owing to the absence of or complete absorption of light; the opposite of whiteʼ whereas the

word ʻmarketʼ has lexical meaning ‘a regular gathering of people for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other commoditiesʼ. However, when the word ʻblackʼ and ‘marketʼ are grouped into one, it produces a new meaning. The meaning cannot be transparently identified from its constituent parts (opaque meaning). It does not mean that compound word ʻblack marketʼ is a kind of market or a market which is dark or market with the absence of the light. The word ʻblack marketʼ means ʻan illegal traffic or trade in officially controlled or scarce commoditiesʼ.

  • 2.    Cameraman

Semantically, the word ʻcameraʼ has lexical meaning ʻa device for recording visual images in the form of photographs, film, or video signalsʼ whereas the word ʻmanʼ has lexical meaning ʻan adult human maleʼ. When the word ʻcameraʼ and ʻmanʼ are grouped into a new word ‘cameraman’, the meaning can be determined from the meaning of its parts (transparent meaning). It can be identified that the word ʻcameramanʼ means ‘an adult human male which uses a camera, a device for recording visual images in the form of photographsʼ. Furthermore, the word ʻmanʼ has another meaning ‘a male person associated with a particular place, activity, or occupation’. The compound word ʻcameramanʼ means ‘a person whose profession is operating a video, television, or film camera’.

  • 2.    Adjectival Compound

    Table 2. Adjectival Compound

    No.

    Compound

    Word

    Pattern

    Form

    1.

    Widespread

    Wide + spread

    Adj + V = Adj

    Closed form

    2.

    Dare-devil

    Dare + devil

    V + N = Adj

    Hyphenated form

  • 1.    Widespread

The words ʻwideʼ and ʻspreadʼ have different lexical meanings. The word ʻwideʼ has lexical meaning ‘including a large number or variety of different people or things; covering a large area’ whereas the word ʻspreadʼ has lexical

meaning ‘to open something that has been folded so that it covers a larger area than beforeʼ. When the word ʻwideʼ and ʻspreadʼ are grouped into a new word ‘widespread’, the meaning can be determined from the meaning of its parts (transparent meaning). It can be identified that the word ʻwidespreadʼ means ʻsomething that found or distributed over a large area or number of peopleʼ. The compound word ʻwidespreadʼ means ʻexisting or happening over a large area or among many peopleʼ.

  • 2.    Dare-devil

Semantically, the word ʻdareʼ has the lexical meaning ‘to be brave enough to do something’ or ‘to persuade somebody to do something dangerous, difficult or embarrassing so that they can show that they are not afraid’ whereas the word ʻdevilʼ has the lexical meaning ‘the most powerful evil beingʼ or ‘an evil spiritʼ. However, when the word ʻdareʼ and ‘devilʼ are grouped into one, it produces a new meaning. The meaning cannot be transparently identified from its constituent parts (opaque meaning). It does not mean that compound word ʻdare-devilʼ is a kind of devil or a devil that is dared. The word ʻdare-devilʼ has meaning ʻreckless or daringʼ.

  • 3.    Verbal Compound

    Table 3. Verbal Compound

    No.

    Compound

    Word

    Pattern

    Form

    1.

    Ransack

    Ran + sack

    V + N = V

    Closed form

    2.

    Touch down

    Touch + down

    V+ Prep = V

    Open form

1. Ransack

Semantically, the word ʻranʼ, which is the past tense of run, has lexical meaning ‘to move using your legs, going faster than when you walk’ whereas the word ʻsackʼ has lexical meaning ‘a larger bag with no handles, made of strong rough material or strong paper or plastic, used for storing and carrying, for example flour or coralʼ. However, when the word ʻranʼ and ‘sackʼ are grouped into one, it produces a new meaning. The meaning cannot be transparently identified from its constituent parts (opaque meaning). It does not mean that

compound word ʻransackʼ is a running activity that is doing on the sack. The word ʻransackʼ means “to make a place untidy, causing damage”.

  • 4.    Neoclassical Compound

    Table 4. Neoclassical Compound

    No

    Compound

    Word

    Pattern

    Form

    1.

    Internet

    Inter + net

    Latin (Neoclassical) + N = N

    Closed form

    2.

    Telegram

    Tele + gram

    Greek (Neoclassical) + N = N

    Closed form

  • 1.    Internet

The word ‘inter’ comes from lexeme of Latin origin ‘hienter’ (Lewis and Shirt, 1879) and has meaning ‘between; from one to another’ whereas the word ʻnetʼ has lexical meaning ‘a type of material that is made of string, thread or wire twisted or tied together, with small spaces in betweenʼ. However, when the word ʻinterʼ and ‘netʼ are grouped into one, it produces a new meaning. The meaning cannot be transparently identified from its constituent parts (opaque meaning). It does not mean that compound word ʻinternetʼ is ‘between materials that are made of stringʼ or ʻsharing the net from one to anotherʼ. The word ʻinternetʼ has meaning ʻan international computer network connecting other networks and computers from companies, universities, and so onʼ.

  • 2.    Telegram

The word ʻteleʼ comes from lexeme of Greek origin ‘τῆλεʼ (têle) (Liddell & Scott, 1940) and has meaning ‘over a long distance; farʼ whereas the word ʻgramʼ has lexical meaning ‘a unit for measuring weightʼ. However, when the word ʻteleʼ and ‘gramʼ are grouped into one, it produces a new meaning. The meaning cannot be transparently identified from its constituent parts (opaque meaning). It does not mean that compound word ʻtelegramʼ is a unit for measuring weight that is far. The word ʻtelegramʼ means ʻa message sent by telegraphʼ.

  • 6.    Conclusion

Based on the discussions that have been done, it can be concluded that there are four types of compound word found in BBC News Website including

nominal compound, adjectival compound, verbal compound, and neoclassical compound. Furthermore, there are two types of meaning found in the data of BBC News Website, they are transparent meaning and opaque meaning. Based on the research, the nominal compounds found are twenty four words, meanwhile the adjectival compounds are fourteen words, verbal compounds are ten words, and neoclassical compound words are nineteen words. In terms of form, there are three forms of compound words occurring in the data of BBC News Website, they are closed form, hyphenated form, and open form. The result of this study shows that nominal compound words are the most frequently type of compound that occurred in the data of BBC News Website followed by neoclassical compound, adjectival compound, and verbal compound.

The nominal compound is the common compound that most frequently occurred in the data of BBC news website because the process is being extensively and widely used by people and it produces new words. Then, it is followed by neoclassical compound which is considered the type of compound that often occurred in the data of BBC News Website because there are many English compound words of which the elements come from Latin or Greek roots which are combined or melded with other lexemes and form new words.

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