A study on javanese speech levels used in Blitar

ABSTRACT

Javanese language is one of the regional languages in our country, which is used by Javanese people as a means of communication, producing ideas and expressing Javanese people identity. It has to be preserved its existence in order not to fade. One of efforts that are done by the government to preserve it is the use of speech levels or unggah-ungguhing basa appropriately for Javanese people in the daily conversation.

Javanese speech level is a system for indicating the degree of formality, respect and intimacy felt by the speaker toward addressee. Then, this degree is shown in the utterance. The concept of the Javanese speech level division systematically is د٢ا١آ٦ ةح١٢١ةلآة١ت٢ ngokofbasa antya, antya basa aA ngoko lugu١١ madya tmadya krama, madyantara aA madya ngoko١ aA krama fMuda krama, kramantara aA Wreda Krama).

In Plosokerep village, the use of Javanese speech levels decreases little by little together with the change of the culture and society. The people often use them inappropriately; moreover they tend to use ngoko speech level to whomever in the daily conversation. Actually, the existence of Javanese speech level is hoped by all of people in the community because of forming the politeness the conversation.

In this study, the researcher focuses or the Javanese speech levels commonly used by Plosokerep people in Blitar, the most dominant Javanese speech level used by them and the use of the Javanese speech levels commonly used by them in the daily conversation based on the classification of age levels. She groups the Plosokerep people into three classifications of age levels; those are children, young people and old people. Then, she hopes that it will be a contribution toward the sociolinguistics study, especially the Javanese speech level. It is also expected that this study can develop the Javanese language through the use of the Javanese speech levels appropriately in the daily conversation.

This study is a descriptive qualitative research. The researcher describes what exists in Plosokerep village, that is description of the Javanese speech levels commonly used by Plosokerep people, the most dominant Javanese speech level used by them and the use of those Javanese speech levels commonly used by them in the daily conversation based on the classification of age levels. The design shows the data presenting in the form of words no numbers. To obtain the valid data, the researcher applies the observation and the interview instrument.

The result of this study is the first, there are three Javanese speech levels commonly used by the Plosokerep People in the daily conversation, those are ngoko, madya, and krama speech level, the second, the most dominant Javanese speech level
used by them is ngoko speech level and the last, the use of those ,Javanese speech levels used by them is ugoko that shows the intimacy, close relationship, unrcluctant, no gap or distance between the speaker with addressee, the second madya that shows polite behavior but only in the middle rank and the third, krama shows respectful or pakewuh toward addressee

Based on the result of this study, the researcher has two suggestions. Firstly she hopes the Javanese people to use three Javanese speech levels appropriately in the daily conversation because they still take the important role in the behavior form, and secondly, she asks the government to develop the Javanese language in every school from the Elementary School until the Senior High School.