THEME AND RHEME IN “
PEPONGOTEN
” IN GAYO
WEDDING CEREMONY
A THESIS
Submitted to Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
By:
KHAIRIAH ARIADY
Registration Number 072222810009
ENGLISH AND LITERATURE DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS
ii
Languages and Arts, State University of Medan.
In accomplishing this thesis, the writer was helped by so many beloved
people and the writer would like to express her gratitude to:
Prof. Dr. Ibnu Hajar Damanik, M. Si. as the Rector of State University of
Medan.
Dra. Meisuri, M. A. as the Head of Applied Linguistics Program.
Drs. Bachtiar, M. Pd as her academic adviser.
Drs. Johan Sinulingga, M. Pd and Drs. Lidiman, S. M. Sinaga, M. Hum
as the reviewer of Thesis.
Her beloved family, her father, Alm. Eddy Azwardy; her mother, Salmiah;
her Uncle’s family, Fawzan Banta Daud; and Hamdan, SH, thank you for
the understanding and the big support in prayer, love, motivation and
financial while accomplished this thesis.
The writer would like to express her gratitude to the one who makes her life more colorful, star in her heart, Afrizal Agata, for his love, supports, pray,
and faithful.
Special thanks also expressed to her best friends, Cha Cha, Lya, Umami,
Debo and Dinda, for their embraces and truly love that always brighten up
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Dewie, Kak Fitry Ab, and all of the Applied Linguistics students ‘A and ‘B
2007. Finally, she also addressed her appreciation to those who cannot be
mentioned one by one. May Allah SWT bless us. Amin.
Finally, the writer admits that this thesis still far from being perfect.
Therefore, the writer would like to invite the readers to give suggestion for the
improvement of this thesis later on.
Medan, April 2014 The writer,
i
ABSTRACT
Ariady, Khairiah. 072222810009. Theme and Rheme in “pepongoten” at Gayo Wedding Ceremony. A Thesis. English And Literature Departement Faculty of Language and Arts State University of Medan. 2014.
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LIST OF TABLE
Table 2.1 Conjunctive Adjuncts ... 14
Table 2.2 Modal Adjuncts ... 15
vi
APPENDICES
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. The Background of The Study
1. The Definition of Theme and Rheme
Theme is a part of thematic structure. Halliday (1994: 37) defines that
thematic structure is one of the various structures, which when it is mapped on to
each other make up a clause and will be considered first the one which gives the
clause its character as a message.
Theme is the element which serves at the point of departure of the
message. It is that with which the clause is concerned. Theme can be identified as
an element which comes in first position in the clause. It is the starting point for
the message. It is the ground from which the clause is taking off.
Rheme is the rest of the clause. It comes after the point of departure. In rhyme,
new information is typically contained.
a. The example of theme and rheme structure
1) The duke has given my aunt that teapot.
Theme Rheme
2) My aunt has been given that teapot by the duke.
Theme Rheme
3) That teapot the duke has given to my aunt.
Theme Rheme
Theme can also consist of more that one structural element. Theme of a
2
For example:
1) On the ground or in the air small creature live and breathe
Theme Rheme
recognition), but on the seventh day after birth, when the baby is brought down to
riverside to be introduced into the natural and cultural words and is named. The
second debt is education, which once meant instruction in Qur’anic recitation but
has come to be interpreted more broadly to include schooling in the Indonesian
system. The third debt is circumcision of a boy at about age five or subincious of
a girl at one or two. These rituals mark te child’s entry into the status of being a
full Muslim and are often reffered to locally as Islamization. The fourth and final
Gayonese life-cycle is to prepare their son or daughter to get married.
In this life-cycle, particularly at wedding ceremony, the Gayonese using
ritual speaking as they called basa edet. The ritual speaking at Gayonese wedding
ceremony classified into three kinds; Pepongoten (ritual wailing), Melengkan
3
In wedding ceremony, Gayonese speaks of the norm that governing social
life as their culture “edet”, “Gayo edet” or Adat in Malay, a word that means
variously apropriate, norms, or traditions. Theme is functionally occupied by the
first element of the transitivity system of clause.
In the unfolding of the text o the Theme, in its turn becomes, the local
context or background o the clause.
Pepongoten (ritual wailing) is a Gayonese edet in wedding ceremony.
Pepongoten is the name of the way how to express this utterance but Sebuku is the
name for contain of utterance. Pepongoten means meratap in Malay. In
Pepongoten all of utterances are used in poetic words and has deep meaning.
Mother and her daughter speak while they crying.
In real communication, there are levels of Theme that is usually done by
people. The levels of Theme used depends on how and in what situation where the
interaction happen. Indeed, level of Theme used by Gayonese at wedding
ceremony as formal situation will be different from the level of Theme used by
Gayonese in informal situation.
Theme is realized (expressed, signaled) by position that is the initial
element of clause is called Theme whereas the Rheme is element(s) that follow(s).
In the unfolding of the text the Theme, in its turn becomes, the local context or
background of the clause. Thus, Theme is the starting point of the message, point
of departure or local context of the clause as a piece of text. The Theme is
4
Rheme is the rest of the message of the clause after the Theme. Thus, the Rheme
is where the clause moves after the point of departure.
B. The Problem Of The Study
How the utterance of Theme and Rheme used by Gayonese in Pepongoten
at wedding ceremony.
In this case, will be shown how the Theme and Rheme performed by
Gayonese in pepongoten at wedding ceremony.
1. What type of Theme and Rheme social function are used in Pepongoten by
Gayonese at wedding ceremony?
2. What type of Theme and Rheme social function are dominantly used in
Pepongoten by Gayonese at wedding Ceremony?
3. How do the Gayonese used Theme and Rheme in Pepongoten at wedding
ceremony?
4. Why is this type of Theme and Rheme dominantly used at wedding
ceremony?
C. The Objective of the Study
In relation to the problems, the objectives of the study are to discover:
1. To describe the Gayonese use Theme and Rheme in Pepongoten at
wedding ceremony.
2. To determine type of Theme and Rheme social function are used in
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3. To determine type of Theme and Rheme social function are dominantly
used in Pepongoten at wedding ceremony.
D. The scope Of the study
The study focus on Theme and Rheme that is uttered in Pepongoten by
Gayonese at wedding ceremony.
To avoid the broad discussion and to make this research manageable, this
research concerneson Theme and rheme used by Gayonese at wedding ceremony
in Takengon Gayohomeland.
E. The significance of the study
Findings of the study are expected to be significantly relevant theoritically
and practically. Theoretically, the researcher assumes that the research finding
will be useful for:
1. Lectures in teaching sociolinguistics, they can use this research to enlarge
their knowledge about the kinds of Theme anf rheme that is used in
Gayonese wedding ceremony especially in Pepongoten.
2. Better understand deeply the use of Theme and rheme in Pepongoten at
Gayonese wedding ceremony in related to Gayo as a minority ethnic in
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Practically, this research will be useful for:
1. Other researchers who will conduct the relevance study, this will be very
useful aid.
2. Those who are interested in using Gayonese wedding ceremony to be
applied to their own marriage.
3. Gayonese to maintain Gayo’s culture from the extinction by practicing the
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