A study on speech style of Javanese language used in Pesantren Luhur Malang, East Java

ABSTRACT

Javanese language is the biggest regional language used in Indonesia, which has to be preserved, cultivated, and developed. One of these goals is the using speech style of Javanese language or well known by Javanese as unggah-ungguhing basa. This term of Javanese language is a difficult matter and in its development, unggah- ungguhing basa begins to be leaved and forgotten. Many young Javanese generations nowadays do not use it in their daily communication. Moreover, they often make mistakes if they use Javanese language aspect and mix it with other languages, especially Indonesian language.

Pesantren Luhur Malang that is situated on Raya sumbersari Street Malang becomes the object of this study. It is because most of santri are Javanese and they use Javanese language more often in their daily communication, though they are multilinguists.

In this study, the researcher focuses on the kind of Javanese speech style used by santri-putri at Pesantren Luhur Malang. Also, this study focused on the reasons of santri-putri using speech style of Javanese language in their communication. The researcher hopes that her study will become useful science and knowledge, because she believes that it gives contribution for the field of linguistic. Moreover, it gives information about Javanese culture including the etiquette in communication; especially for researcher who wants investigate in the same area or who has different culture to Javanese and interest in studying this topic.

This study is descriptive-qualitative research in which the data will be presented in the words form to describe speech style of Javanese language used by santri-putri at Pesantren Luhur Malang. To get the scientific data, the researcher uses observation and interview. Also, she uses document of Pesantren Luhur Malang to make the data more complete. The restilt of this study that there are three kinds of Javanese speech style used by santri-putri at Pesantren Luhur Malang, krama, madya and ngoko. Ngoko is the dominant one and then followed by madya and krama style, which is used toward kyai’s wife because they know with whom they speak, people with higher social status and degree than them and of course they know that they have to respect them. Ngoko is used toward other santri because it makes their relation closer, better and no distance between them.

Based on the data analysis, the researcher has some suggestions that it is important for Javanese to use Javanese language. It is also useful for them to follow speech style or tinggah-ungguhing basa of Javanese language based on the principles, though they live in multilingual community. They have to use Javanese language for its preservation. The researcher also suggests to Javanese, special for young Javanese to use their language well and to study it. Finally, the researcher suggests that there will be other researchers who study about Javanese language in other places.