THE MAINTENANCE OF SILADANG LANGUAGE
A Thesis
Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Postgraduate
Program, In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the Degree of Magister Humaniora
By:
HORIA SIREGAR
Register Number: 8136111028
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY
PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
ABSTRACT
Siregar, Horia. Registration Number 8136111028. The Maintenance of Siladang Language. Thesis. English Applied Linguistic Study program, Post Graduate School, State University of Medan (UNIMED). 2016.
ABSTRAK
Siregar, Horia. Nomor Pendaftaran 8136111028. Pemertahanan Bahasa Siladang. Tesis. Jurusan Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris, Program Pasca Sarjana, Universitas Negeri Medan. (UNIMED). 2016.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
The writer would like to express her deep devotion and thanks to the
almighty Allah SWT, for everything has given to the writer to finishing this
thesis. Shalawat and Salam to Prophet Muhammad SAW as the messenger, has
brought the humankind from the bad characters to the good ones.
In the process of completing this thesis, there are many people who have
assisted and suggested the materials to be impossible to name all at some deserve
the honor to be noted.
Firstly, the writer would like to express her gratitude to Professor. Dr.
Busmin Gurning, M.Pd., her first adviser for the guidance, assistant,
encouragement and valuable suggestions and critics from these great heroes in
education, in the process of writing this thesis.
Secondly, the writer would like to express her gratitude to Professor. Dr.
Sri Minda Murni, M.S. her second adviser for his available time spent for
consultation, great supervision and full support in shaping this thesis.
The writer would also like to express her gratitude to the head, English
Applied Linguistics Program, Dr. Rahmad Husein, M.Ed., and his secretary
Professor. Dr. Sri Minda Murni, MS and Farid Ma’ruf who have assisted her in the process of administration requirement during the process of her study in the
postgraduate program.
She would like to take special occasion to express her gratitude to Dr.
Zainuddin, M.Hum., Dr. Didik Santoso, M.Pd., and Dr. I Wayan Dirgeyasa
be include in this thesis. Furthermore, she would like to express her high
appreciation to all lectures of English Applied study program UNIMED Medan,
who have shared their knowledge and experience her during study. And thank
you note addressed to her colleagues in class A of English Applied Linguistics in
take XXIII for the cooperation and friendly being in the “same boat”.
Last but not least, on a personal level, the writer would like to dedicate her
love and sincerest gratitude to her beloved parents Alm. Abdul Hasyim and
Rospiati Hasibuan, her beloved brothers Rustam Siregar and Zulham Efendi for
their sincere and most reliable comfort and above all, their love and support.
Medan, December 2015
Horia Siregar
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER II: REVIEW AND RELATED LITERATURE ... 7
2.1 Theoretical Framework ... 7
2.1.1 Language Maintenance ... 7
2.1.1.1Language Change ... 10
2.1.1.2Language Endangerment ... 12
2.1.2 Factors Affecting Language Maintenance ... 16
2.1.3 Strategy for Language Maintenance ... 22
2.1.4 Reasons for Language Maintenance ... 24
2.1.5 Siladang Society and its Language ... 26
2.2 Relevant Studies... 30
3.4 Instrument of Data Collection ... 38
3.5 Trustworthiness of the Study ... 38
CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS, RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION 42
4.1 Data Analysis ... 42
4.1.1 Factors Affecting Siladang Language Maintenance ... 42
4.1.1.1 Ethno Linguistic Vitality ... 43
4.1.1.2 Living Together and See each Other Frequently ... 43
4.1.1.3 Using Language in Family Domain (Intra marriage and Intermarriage) ... 45
2.1.2.4 Using Language in Neighbourhood Domain ... 48
2.1.2.5 Using Language in Religion Domain ... 49
2.1.2.6 Using Language in Workplace Domain ... 50
2.1.2.7 Practice of AdatIstiadat (Traditional) Ceremony ... 51
4.1.2 Strategies of Language Maintenance ... 52
4.1.2.1 Family Language Policy ... 53
4.1.2.2 Using Siladang Language in their Daily Communication ... 54
4.1.2.3 Using Siladang Language in Cultural Activity ... 55
4.1.3 The reasons of maintaining Siladang Language ... 56
4.1.3 Proud being Siladang people ... 57
4.1.4 Show the identity as Siladang People ... 58
4.2 Findings... 59
4.3 Discussions ... 59
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSSION AND SUGGESTION ... 69
5.1 Conclusion ... 66
5.2 Suggestion ... 67
REFERENCES ... 69
LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 2.1 Factors in Evaluating the Vitality of a Language ... 15
Table 2.2 Siladang Language ... 30
Table 1 Strategy of language maintenance of family language policy ... 53
Table 2 Strategy of language maintenance by using Siladang Language in daily
communication ... 54
Table 3 Strategy of language maintenance by using Siladang language in cultural
activity ... 55
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1. Questionniare ... 73
Appendix 2. Interview ... 76
Appendix 3. List of Particpnats’ Identities ... 77
Appendix 4. Result of Interview ... 78
Appendix 5. Table 1 Ethno Linguistic factor ... 104
Appendix 6. Table 2 Living together and see each other frequently factor ... 106
Appendix 7. Table 3 The use of language in family domain (intra marriage And intermarriage) ... 108
Appendix 8. Table 4 The use of language in neighbourhood domain ... 110
Appendix 9. Table 5 The use of language in religion domain ... 112
Appendix 10. Table 6 The use of language in workplace domain ... 112
Appendix 11. Table 7 Practice traditional ceremony ... 113
Appendix 12. Table 8 Strategies of language maintenance by using family Language policy ... 117
Appendix 13. Table 9 Strategies of language maintenance y using Siladang Language in daily communication frequently ... 119
Appendix 14. Table 10 Strategies of language maintenance by using Siladang Language in cultural activity ... 121
Appendix 15. Table 11 Reasons of maintaining Siladang language with proud beingSiladang people ... 123
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1Background of the Study
In Indonesia, there are hundreds of ethnic languages that consist of five big
islands and hundreds of small islands. Each island has some ethnic groups which
are create of many languages. Each of these languages is unique. Based on the
data of UNESCO in the year of 2001, there are 6.900 languages in the world, and
2.500 of them are extinction. UNESCO said that Indonesia is facing a very big
danger of language shift. Based on the data of UNESCO, almost 200 languages do
not exist any longer after three generations, because they lost their native
speakers.
Similarly, as it was informed by Multamia (2008), about 736 of 746
vernaculars in Indonesia are endangered. One of the languages that issued in
endanger is Siladang language. She also explained that generally the numbers of
the vernacular languages’ speakers tend to be less caused of there is no writing
form of the language. Thus, the oral tradition that developed in minority
languages if not immediately documented it will be difficult to maintain their
existence. But, it is not occurred for Siladang language, this language is still well
and alive. Siladang language is not extinct because the speakers are still use the
language until now, and there are more than 2000 inhabited. The language will
face the endangered language if the speakers are less than 500 speakers.
Siladang language is one of vernacular in Indonesia. There are two tribes in
Siladang language namely the Lubu and the Ulu. Lubu and Ulu tribes come from
language is different from Mandailing language that exists in area of South
Tapanuli. Siladang language also absorbs Mandailing vocabulary and mixes it
with Ulu language. The change of the language occurred in the pronunciation and
phoneme of the words.
Language is a cultural identity. Language and identity are inextricably
linked each other and in order to save identity, language users must attempt to
save their language. Similarly, Thomas, et. al. (1999:158-159) said that the use of
language is one way that is used to establish our identity and shaping of other
people’s views of who we are. Thus, language plays an important role in defining
who we are, and makes us instantly recognizable to other members of our
particular speech community.
For Siladangnese people, using Siladang language in their daily
communication, it is show the identity of Siladangnese. Siladang language is a
symbol identity of Siladangnese. Ethnic identity is the way in which the
expression through a language. Attachment to language is as strong as people
regard themselves as social group, which is influenced largely by how the larger
society regards them. Language must be maintained because language showed
the identity of the language users. As Holmes (2001:63) stated that where
language is considered as important symbol of a minority group's identity, the
language is likely to be maintained longer. Moreover Corson (2001:174) said that
the maintenance of a heritage language is vital for the self-identity and esteem of
its speakers. Therefore, language must be protected, preserved and maintained.
It also done by the Siladangnese speakers, the increasing of the dominant
words such as; oku (I), oko (You), Bopok (Father), Nanang (Mather), mantuhe
(Aunt), momok (Ancle) are still used by them until now.
Language maintenance refers to the situation where speech community
continues to use its traditional language in the face of a host of conditions that
might foster a shift to another language. It is the product of language contact
where a linguistic minority or a dominated ethno linguistic group is successful in
keeping its original language in spite of the pressure exhorted on it by a dominant
linguistic group.
As the research conducted by Dweik and Al-Obaidi (2014) talked about
Syriac Language Maintenance among the Assyrians of Iraq. They found that the
Assyrians have been successful in maintaining their ethnic language despite the
long-term contact with many languages such Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish and
Persian. The factors that helped the maintain the Syriac language include using it
at home with family members and relatives, the church, the tight social relations,
the media, the positive attitudes they exert towards it and internal marriages.
Related to this research, this study also observed the factors of the maintenance
of the Siladang language. The existences of Siladang language toward the
Mandailing language one of the researcher’s reason interested to do the research
about the maintenance of the Siladang language, and this language became
potential phenomenon in linguistics study to be researched.
Actually, language shift potentially happen in vernaculars in Indonesia. It
happens in Indonesia continually. Bilingualism/multilingualism is one of factors
which affected the language shift. Siladangnese people are multilingual; they can
that, the Mandailing language is more dominant in their society, because their
territory is still region of Panyabungan. When they out from their territory they
are prefer to use Mandailing language or Bahasa Indonesia because it is more
prestigious than their language. From this phenomenon, the language shift might
be happened. But, in fact Siladang language is still maintained. The Siladangnese
people are still used this language in their society, particularly in their home,
because of that their children also can speak this language.
Based on the observation, living together and see each other frequently is
one of the main factors that affect Siladangnese people maintaining their
language. Beside, there are another factors can affect the maintenance of
Siladang language such as ethno linguistic vitality, the using of language in
family domain (Intra marriage and intermarriage), use of language in
neighborhood domain, use of language in workplace domain, use of language in
religion domain, and practice Adat Istiadat (traditional) ceremony. Beside the
factors in maintaining the language, the ways and reasons of the Siladangnese
speakers using the language are also important one to be observed.
Based on the explanation above, Siladang language is maintained by
Siladang speaker in Desa Sipapaga. They keep the existence of their vernacular
by using that language when they communicate. Saragih (2010) said that
language maintenance is a must and should be done because both the value and
the wealth of the local language should be maintained for the heritage of national
culture. The death of a vernacular may cause the death of certain ethnics. The
loss of culture means loss of the human asset and their unique which differentiate
Thus, this study conducted the research about the maintenance of
Siladang language that focused on the factors which contribute to the
maintenance of Siladang language, the ways and the reasons of the speakers of
the Siladangnese maintain their language in Desa Sipapaga.
1.2Problems of the Study
The focus of this study is the language maintenance of Siladang language.
Based on this focus the problems of the research formulated as below;
1. What factors do affect the maintenance of Siladang language?
2. How do the Siladang people maintain their language?
3. Why do the Siladang people maintain their language?
1.3Objectives of the Study
A long with the problems of the study there are some overreaching
objectives, they are:
1) to examine the factors affecting the Siladang language maintenance
in Desa Sipapaga
2) to find out the ways in maintaining the Siladang language in Desa
Sipapaga
3) to find out the reasons why the speakers of Siladang maintain their
1.4Scope of the Study
This study is limited to identify the factors affecting the maintenance of
Siladang language, where there were 20 Siladangnese speakers as the
participants of this study. This is also related to the strategies and the reasons of
Siladang people maintenance their language. This study focused on the
maintenance of Siladang language in Desa Sipapaga.
1.5Significance of the Study
After conducting this study, it was hoped significantly relevant to the
theoretical and practical aspects.
1) Theoretically
The finding of the study was useful for developing of the theory of
language maintenance. This research finding also was useful for
improving the knowledge about the vernacular language.
2) Practically
The result of the study was useful as a reference for the university
students who are interested in studying language maintenance. This
research finding also was useful for the next researchers who are
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
5.1 Conclusions
This study focused on the maintenance of Siladang language in Desa
Sipapaga. It was aimed to gain the factors support Siladang language maintenance in
Desa Sipapaga. Based on the analysis, the conclusions are stated:
1. Factors affecting Siladang maintenance in Desa Sipapaga are; Ethnolinguistic
vitality, living together and see each other frequently, use of language in
family domain, use of language neighborhood domain, use of language in
workplace domain, use of language in religion domain, and practice of Adat
Istiadat. The dominant factor is the living together and see each other
frequently. It means that living in area dominated by Siladang people support
the Siladang people to speak Siladang language in their surrounding in Desa
Sipapaga.
2. The strategies of language maintenance which is done by the Siladang people
in Desa Sipapaga are family language policy, using Siladang language in their
daily life frequently, and using Siladang language in cultural activity like in
wedding ceremony.
3. The reasons of the Siladang language maintain their language are they proud
using Siladang language. By using Siladang language in daily communication
shows their identity as Siladang people and the Siladang language is the
5.2 Suggestions
In relations the conclusions, there are several suggestions that are needed to be
shared some elements;
1. It is suggested to Siladang people to use Siladang language in their daily
communication. They have to use Siladang language in all domains in order
their language will be preserved.
2. The parents especially should be more practice their language with their
children because the children will learn the language from their parents. They
acquire Siladang language and the children can practice it in their daily
communication.
3. To the Siladang people, to be aware toward their own language and proud
being Siladang and keep using the language in everywhere in order the
Siladang language will not loss.
4. It is suggested that a policy should be made by local government by, for
instance, bringing this language into the classrooms in primary schools in
Desa Sipapaga.
5. The local community, non-government organization, or local government in
Siladang more respecting elders’ knowledge can be especially addressed to
mothers and female elders in Desa Sipapaga. When the old generations who
understand their indigenous language die, a lot of knowledge of the language
is also gone.
6. It is suggested to the local government to support the linguists and the
dictionary of Siladang language. By doing this way, Siladang will have the
documentation of their language and it is not just oral language.
7. To the next researcher is suggested to focus on the maintenance of Siladang
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