A Sociolinguistic study on Madurese Speech Levels in Sumenep

ABSTRACT

Madurese is one of vernacular languages, which is used by Madurese people as a means of communication in producing ideas, and expressing Madurese identity. The users of Madurese are estimated to be nine millions people, spread out at any places in Madura island and islands around it such as Sepudi, Raas, Tonduk, Wa- Guwa, Kangean, Masalembu. It is also spoken in North shore of East Java, from Gresik (including Bawean), until Banyuwangi.

Geographically, there are three dialects of Madurese: Bangkalan dialect, which is used by Madurese in Bangkalan and Sam pang; Pamekasan dialect, and Sumenep dialect.

Like Javanese, Madurese also has speech levels, which reflect the social status of the speakers, they are: ngoko/enja ’-٠١ madyaZenggi-enten, and kramaZenggi-bunten speech. The use of the three Madurese speech levels properly is very important, because it indicates the social relationship between the speakers and hearers in terms of status and familiarity.

This study aims to give a description concerning Madurese speech Levels In Sumenep. More specific, this study is conducted to find out the people who commonly use the three Madurese speech levels, the situations when the three Madurese speech levels are used, and the factors that contribute to the choice of the three Madurese speech levels.

،This study is considered descriptive since the data is in terms of words. In collecting the data, the ١vriter uses observation to obtain the data about the sitiuation when the three Madurese speech levels are used and about the people who commonly used the three Madurese speech levels and interview is used to get the valid data about the factors that contribute to the choice of the three Madurese speech levels. And data analysis is conducted to classify them into three categories. First) the writer gives explanation about the people who commonly use three Madurese speech levels. Second٠ the writer gives explanation about the situation when the three Madtirese speech levels are tised. And the last) the writer gives explanation about the factors that contribute to the choice of the three Madurese speech levels.

This study yields the following results. Firstly, there are many changes in using the three Madurese speech levels. And the changes commonly happen in madyaZenggi-enten and kramaZemggi-bunten speech such as according to the rules of politeness of Madurese language, a husband should use madya/enggi-enten, but in reality he uses ngokoZenja’-iyya speech. And also students should use kramaZenggi- bunten speech, however, unfortunately, they use madya/enggi-enten speech level.

Secondly, ngoko/enja'-iyya is used in informal situation such as communication between one and his or her close friends, madya/enggi-enten is used where the situation is between formal and informal situation such as transaction between buyer and seller in the market, krama/enggi-bunten is used m formal situation such as meeting between supervisor and his employers in the office. And the last, at least there are two factors that contribute to the choice of the three Madurese speech levels in Sumenep, they are: the situation when the conversation take place and the differences of the social status between the speaker and hearer.

Based on the finding, some recommendations are proposed to another researchers to searche and discuss further about Madurese.