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Registration Nu:mbel : OS2188JJ0012
Submitted
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Linguistic.'£
Study .Program
in Partial
l"'u!fii!mtmt of the
Reqgtfre me ~ t fsfor tl:e Degree of
A THESIS
SEMANTIC ANOMALY IN NEWS PROGRAM
SEPUTAR INDONESIA
FERIY ANTI ELINA GULT6M
Registration Number: 082188330012
English AppHed Llngubties
Study
Program
Post Graduate
School
State Univen ity of Medan
This Thesis was eDJDined on September 2, 2009 by the Board of Examlnen
Approved
By
Adviser Commission
APPROVAL
This Thesis was examined on September
2, 2009
by the Board of Examiners
Prof. Tin,. Mariany Arifin, M.A.,
Ph. D.
Dr. Busmin Guming, M.Pd.
Prof. Amrin Saragib, M.A., Ph.D.
Prof. llr. Lince Sihombing, M.Pd.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Praise the Lord, the Almighty Father, in the name of Jesus Christ. First of all,
the writer would like to thank Him for all His Blessing, Guidance and opportunity to
her to undertake her study from the beginning until the completion of her thesis.
She would like to express her deepest gratitude to Prof. Tina Mariany Arifm,
M.A., Ph.D., the Head of the English Applied Linguistics Study Program and at the
same time her first Adviser, (or her encouragement to begin her research, and for
insight, guidance and patient during the writing of her thesis. Her meticulousness
impresses her much. She is indebted to Dr. Busmin Gurning, M.Pd., her second
Adviser, for his guidance, input and constructive critics to produce an excellent
academic writing. Without the excellent supervision of both them, she is very sure
that this academic taste will not have been completed. She is really cherished the
different perspectives they have shared in the process of writing this thesis.
She is grateful to render her special thank to the following examiners of
Applied Linguistics Study Program for the valuable of knowledge and advice they
have transferred her: Prof. Amrin Saragih, M.A., Ph.D., who has helped her by
correcting her thesis during his peak time. Prof Lince Sihombing, M.Pd., whose
lecture on Semantics, has inspired her to conduct her research on Semantic field. Her
willingness to rectify her thesis gave her indeed a special encouragement to persevere
with her research and Dr. Eddy Setia M.Ed,.TESP,. who is giving a very smart
Most of all, she would particularly like to thank her family, her dad
M.Gultom, her mom T hr. Samosir and all her sisters Nora, Ika and Yohana whose
love, support, advice and sense of humor have helped her more than they know.
Thank you for giving her a very special appreciation for having the chance to
experience the good taste of education at a higher level.
In addition, she would like to express her gratitude to her best friend Ade Aini
Nuran and Farida Hanim Saragih who are very generous in giving their smart opinion
about conducting this research and cm,ng her in her hopeless moment. She also likes
to thank the following people: Hamka whose willingness to set her thesis right and to
prepare all the thing that she never thank you enough, Nazly Yusuf and Puan Suri
Mira Ani sa for giving her a warmest heart of friend, Marisi Debora who can always
be my ingenuous sister and her extraordinary gratefulness also goes to Mr. Asfikar
whose aid have assisted her so much.
Finally, she is grateful to all the students of the Applied Linguistics Study
Program Intake XIII Parlindungan, Mellysa, Dini, Desi, Apri, lpur, Santi and Hetty,
ABSTRACT
Gultom, Feriyanti Elina. Semantic Anomaly in News Program Seputar Indonesia. A Thesis. English Applied Linguistics Study Program. Post Graduate School. State University of Medan. 2009
This thesis explores semantic anomaly in news program Seputar Indonesia.
The data for this study were the utterances of the news' presenter in Seputar Indonesia. The research was conducted by using descriptive qualitative design. The objectives of the study are to investigate the type of semantic anomaly found in news program Seputar Indonesia, to ascertain the dominant type of semantic anomaly and to contextualize the use of the dominant type. The data were collected by recording the news program Seputar Indonesia by usj.ng video recorder. After collecting the data by recording the news programs on television, then taking note of the utterances related to the semantic anomaly, firstly the data were analyzed by identifying the utterances to find out the semantic anomaly, translating the word that have semantic anomaly in to English and then classifying the identified utterances to find it types by using the classification of semantic anomaly by Cruse. After that, counting the percentage of each identified semantic anomaly to fmd out its dominance. Finally, giving reasons of the dominant type of semantic anomaly found in news program
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF APPENDICES
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study ... ... .... .. .... ... . 1.2 Problems of the Study
1.3 Objectives of the Study 1.4 Scope of the Study
1.5 Significance of the Study ... .
REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Semantic
2.2. 2.4
2.5
2.1.1 Semantic Anomaly 2.1.1.1 Pleonasm 2.1. 1.2 Dissonance 2.1. 1.3 Zeugma 2. 1.1.4 Improbability
2. 1.2 Detecting Semantic Anomaly ... .... . . Language of News
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTERV
REFERENCES APPENDICES
RESEARCH METHOD
3.1 Research Method 3.2 Subject of the Study
3.3 Instrument of the Data Collection 3.4 Procedure of the Data Collection 3.5 Technique of the Data Analysis
DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 4.1 Description of Data
4.2 Data Analysis 4.3 Findings 4.4 Discussions
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 Conclusions 5.2 Suggestions
33 33 33 34 34 35 37 40 44 45
... .. ... ... .. .... .. ... ... 46
Appendix
Appendix A Appendix B
LIST OF APPENDICES
1.1 Background of the Study
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Language is a tool which is used by human being to communicate. Language
is used to convey something to other. The language conveyed is called information.
Information is good if the message of the given information is the same to the
received information heard. To reach that point, language has to be packaged well
and correct. A good language is a language that is not creates ambiguity. That is why.
information should be conveyed as simple as possible. But nowadays. it is often that
information is conveyed not as explained above. Language understood together
betWeen the speaker and the hearer is called as shared knowledge. Shared knowledge
which is got any extension will cause a different meaning. It can make
misunderstanding between the speaker and hearer because they have a different
perception about the e ~sence of information conveyed. This essence is called
semantic anomaly. Semantic anomaly is the abnormality profile of the linguistic
items in term of combination and interaction of the elements of language in the
different context which may create ambiguity and connotative meaning. It is an
obvious fact that some combinations of words "go together" naturally, and it is easy
to imagine a situation in which they could function as part of a discourse. Other sets
of words do not go together in this way; it is impossible or at least very difficult to
imagine a situation in which they could be in
used.
although we must not2
interaction is complex and not yet fully understood. Actually there are two potential
focuses of interest in studying semantic specifically the anomalous of semantic; one
is whether a particular combination makes senses. This is included the composition of
the word combination. The other is whether a combination is normal or abnormal. All
of the oddness is called the abnormality of language. It is undeniable that the
normality or abnormality of words as the part of semantic component can be affected
by the wider context in which they are set and mostly affected by the style of
language or commonly called as stylistic problems of language.
For examples: "Heavy on air"
"The pussy cat doll is on the air now"
In the first example this might strike the ear as odd, if no context is given
related to heavy on air. But, suppose the conversation is about space and the need to
develop ways of recycling vital materials like water and air. In this context it is not
difficult to make sense of a statement to the effect that a particular device is heavy on
air. But, that statement seems more abnormal because of the combination of the
words. The word heavy naturally deals with having relatively great weight. And the
word air naturally deals with atmosphere in an enclosure; breeze or wind which is
almost weightless. The combination of those words is not normal.
In the second example, the pussy cat doll is on the air now sounds abnormal
because of the composition of the word combination. The word pussy means a cat;
3
word combination. Another example, colourless green ideas might not be anomalous
in sense or meaning if used to describe a boring lecture on environment issues. But,
in terms of harmony or suitability, it is not normal. Colourless means lacking colour,
in fact green means the hue of the visible spectrum lying between yellow and blue.
So the form of colourless green is a kind of semantic anomaly.
Those examples above represent a number of semantic anomalies which
occurs in our surrounding naturally and unconsciousness, how if it occur in the news
program on television. In fact, nowadays, language is spread, it is developed. There
are many extensions here and there, no exception in the journalistic world. The use of
language is not as normal as formerly. There are many abnormalities in that sphere.
People speak, use and combine the words as they like so that broke the rule.
It is seen now that language of journalistic uttered on television program is
out of rule. It is needed to see whether it also occurs in the news program, in this case
Seputar Indonesia. It is very important to analyze since Seputar Indonesia is a news
program which won awards for the favorite news program categories. It must be
simple, accurate and evident in giving information. Semantic anomaly creates
positive and negative effect in terms of getting meaning. The use of semantic
anomaly in conveying message or information, in fact positively makes the words
aesthetic and artistic. The stylistic of the words combination is able to fascinate and
4
It can not be denied the use of semantic anomaly beautifies the language, but
it is often destroy the essence of the real meaning of the message.
Some effects are caused by semantic anomaly that occurs in the journalistic world,
are connotative meaning and ambiguity. This is the exact reason to conduct this
study.
1.2 Problems of the Study
This study focuses on the journalistic language on television. Based on the
background, the problems are formulated as the following.
1) What types of semantic anomaly are found in the news program Seputar
Indonesia?
2) Which type of semantic anomaly 1s dominantly found in the news
program Seputar Indonesia?, and
3) Why is the type dominant?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
Related to the problems, the objectives are.
1) to investigate the types of semantic anomaly found in the news program
Seputar Indonesia
2) to ascertain dominant type of semantic anomaly in the news program
5
1.4 Scope of the Study
. This study has specific intention to the journalistic language in news
program on television. The news programs chosen in this study was Seputar
Indonesia which is displayed in July- August, 2009. Seputar Indonesia is a news
program which won the award for favorite news program category and displayed by
Rajawali Citra Televisi or RCTI everyday at 5.30 am, 12 pm and 5 pm. In this news
program, it is the presenters' utterances as the data. The reporter and the interviewee
utterances are not included as the data because they report the information directly,
they don't use the script as the news presenter does.
1.5 Significance of the Study
Debating semantic anomaly is really iinportant because it gave so much
advantage. By reading this thesis, it is expected that the finding of this study can
provide some inputs for the teacher in teaching semantic and grammar. It is also can
be used as the material to the lecturer who responsible to elaborate the study deals
with semantic anomaly, language in meaning and language complexity. The result of
this study are relevant to the needs of the students who want to conduct a research
relates to grammar and semantic. The students who learn pragmatics and semantics
need to comprehend the type of semantic anomaly to enable and enrich their
knowledge to communicate better than before. For the reader, it is very important to
6
For public, especially for the journalist, the fmdings of this research can be used as
the guide in making journalistic writing, whether it is for the visual program on
television or in the printed media as in magazine, newspaper and tabloid. The
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 CONCLUSIONS
After analyzing the data, the conclusions are drawn as follows.
1) There were four types of semantic anomaly found in news program Seputar
Indonesia, they are pleonasm, dissonance, zeugma and improbability. The
type of semantic anomaly dominantly found in news program Seputar
Indonesia was improbability.
There was a tendency of communication in news program Seputar Indonesia
to impart or to convey the information by using figurative meaning. It was
shown in the dominant number of improbability which had been found in the
news presenters' utterance. The second dominant number of identified
semantic anomaly is pleonasm. It means that, beside the extreme language,
journalistic language is inclined to use redundancy of word to strengthen the
meant words.
The dominant use of improbability is due to fascinate, beautify and mosty to
attract the attention of public. Improbability expressed with exaggerate
language is more attracting used
than
the formal one which sounds soawkward. Generally, public will prefer to hear easy listening and understand
language than the stiff one, that's why the language of journalistic is made in
45
5.2 SUGGESTIONS
Related to the conclusion above, the suggestions are stated as follows.
I) In teaching, Semantic anomaly indicates how the language correctly used in
public generally and in journalistic language specifically. The teachers need to
introduce semantic anomaly in the class. Beside they can use news program as
the media in teaching semantic
The finding of this research indicates the teachers would not only familiarize
themselves with the type of semantic anomaly but also to the illogic structure
which occurred in the journalistic language.
The students who learn pragmatics and semantics need to comprehend the
type of semantic anomaly to enable and enrich their knowledge to
communicate better than before.
For public, especially for the journalists, it needed to know and to study
semantic anomaly to guide them writing better because their work will be
published in the media and read and heard by public.
In addition, the semantic anomaly is better to use in poetry because it is
reasonable if poetry use those kind of semantic anomaly. In fact poetry is
made to express the feeling by using indirect and beautiful language as the
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