THE SEQUENCE OF OCCURRENCE OF UMPASA IN THE TOBA-BATAK WEDDING CEREMONY.

THE SEQUENCE OF 0C(,'1JRRENCE OF

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TOBA ... BATAK WEDDING CEREMONY

A THESIS

BY

IDA POLA SIHOMBING

Reg. No. : 055010112

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ENGLISH APPLIED LINGIDSTICS STUDY PROGRAM

POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL

STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN

MEDAN.

A THESIS

THE SEQUENCE OF OCCURRENCE OF

UMPASA IN

THE TOBA-BATAK WEDDING CEREMONY

Arranged

by

IDA POLA SIHOMBING

Reg. No.: 055010172

English Applied Linguistics Graduate School State University ofMedan

Has been defended before thesis Examination Committee, on February 12tb 2009 and declared to have fulfilled the requirements

Approved

by

Consultant commissions

Name : Ida Pola Sihombing

Approved on :February l21h 2009

(

L Prof. Amrin Saragih; M. A.; Ph, D.

2. Prof. Dr. Lince Sihombing; M. Pd.

4. Dr. Berlin Sibarani; M. Pd.

5, Dr. Busmin Gurning; M, Pd.

App t:~¥

ABSTRACT

Sihombing, Ida Pola. 055010172. The Sequence of Occurrence of

Umpasa

in The Toba-Batik Wedding Ceremony. Thesis: English Applied Linguistics Program.

Post Graduate School. UNIMED. 2009

This thesis deals with a research on The Sequence of Occurrence of

Umpasa

in The Wedding Ceremony ofToba-Batik. The writer wants to understand about the theme

of the

~uence

of occ\lll\!nce of

umpasa(s) especially presented in the weddin_g

ceremony. This research

was

conducted based on pragmatic theories. This research is categorized as ethnographic method with a qualitative approach. The research was conducted in Kecamatan Doloksanggul, Humbang Hasundutan regency. The resources of

data

are field-notes which were collected through interviews, transcripts, official documents, references on Toba-Batak culture and other materials relevant to this research. The subjects of this research were the leaders of cultural and the speakers participated in the wedding ceremony ofToba-Batak The cultural event was attended through participant-observation and interview technique and were later

analyzed according to Spraedley's Analysis particularly cultural theme analysis. The research findings show that; ( 1) the interpretation of the first of um~a presented is for harmony and health, the second is for having children. and the third is for having prosperity, and the final is for dignity, (2) the potential type of genre is dominantly found is procedure, (3) the Toba-Batik people use those

umpasas

to do emotive

function, express the emotion. and the directive function in the wooding ceremony,

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Background of the Study

Language is so basic to our existence that life without words is difficult to

envision. Because speaking, listening, reading and writing are such fundamental

aspects of our daily lives, they seem to be ordinary skills. Executed easily and

effortlessly, language use guides us through our day. It facilities our relationships

with others and help us understand world events, arts, culture and sciences.

This thesis deals with a research on the socio-cultural knowledge of the

Toba-Batak people on the sequence of occurrence of

umpasa

and its interpretation

used in the wedding ceremony.

Umpasa(s)

is a poetic utterance of Toba-Batak

language. Among the Toba-Batak people, conducting a wedding ceremony has a very

important value in the future life of a newly married couple. By wedding ceremony

the Toba-Batak people traditionally celebrate, announce, and legalize, and bless the

marriage of a newly married couple (Sihombing, 1989: Hutagalung, 1991 ).

This importance is signaled by the activities of the Toba-Batak people who

participate in the wedding ceremony. A Toba-Batak wedding ceremony has a

socio-cultural function in the life of the Toba-Batak.

The presentation of

umpasas

in the Toba-Batak people wedding ceremony cannot be

certain function which is related to the philosophical life of the Toba-Batak people to

have hannony, unity, off-spring, prosperity, and dignity (Simanjuntak, 2005:

142-154). The most dominant verbal behavior of the Toba-Batak people in the wedding

ceremony is saying umpasas. Today, the Toba-Batak people maintain saying

umpasas in every cultural events.

In this context, the Toba-Batak people say umpasas just after when they have finished

delivering sentences or wise words and as for their closing statement, they will

present some umpasas as the prayer for that the newly couple will have it in the

future.

The misinterpretation of sequence of occurrence of umpasas in the wedding

ceremony particularly will mislead the speakers and listeners of the Toba-Batak

people in the ceremony. Consequently, it creates a problem in the communicative

interaction among the Toba-Batak people. A survey on the use of umpasas in the

wedding ceremony in some locations in Doloksanggul was conducted for the sake of

the research proposal of this thesis, the findings of the survey indicated that some of

the young generation of Toba-Batak people did not understand the sequence of

umpasa, its occurrence and even the interpretation of these umpasas, and some other

younger could not mention what types of umpasas are generally used in the wedding

ceremony and in what occurrence it will take place, while they were participating

saying umpasas in the wedding ceremony ofToba-Batak people.

The majority of the older said that the younger m general today

misunderstood the use of umpasas in the wedding ceremony. They said this happened

because the younger thought that there is no an appropriate sequence of occurrence of

umpasa

and when it takes place.

The problem of disorderness of

umpasas,

its occurrences, and its

interpretation used in the wedding ceremony is predicted to be more serious by the

socio-cultural trends among the Toba-Batak people. It can be predicted that in several

years ahead the generation of the Toba-Batak people will scarcely speak these

umpasas

in an appropriate order, and they will consequently not understand the

occurrence of these

umpasas

even the interpretation.

Philosophically, if the Toba-Batak people continue doing the disorderness of

occurrence of

umpasas

and its interpretation and if there is not attention given to the

solution of the problems at this early time, sooner or later the next generation of

Toba-Batak people will totally mislead the cultural knowledge about the sequence of

occurrence of

umpasas

used in the wedding ceremony.

A wise academic solution offered to this problem is to conduct a formal

research to study the correct cultural knowledge about the sequence of occurrence of

umpasas

in the Toba-Batak wedding ceremony. The reason for this is that a such

relevant research in the field of pragmatics are not yet communicated in journals.

This issue can be related to the rare application of the pragmatic theory to the analysis

of Toba-Batak people in formal research. The research conducted in this thesis deals

with the language functions in the actual communicative interaction of a

homogeneous ethnic group. Accordingly, the topic of the research in this thesis deals

with the macro language functions of the sequence of occurrence of umpasa in the

Toba-Batak wedding ceremony.

Theoretically, a study on the sequence of occurrence of umpasas in the

Toba-Batak wedding ceremony is categorized as a topic in the field of pragmatics.

In the viewpoint of ethnography, a study of the language use is related to the context

of a cultural life of an ethnic group. According to Hymes (1974), the use of an

utterance in the correct of a cultural situation is to transfer the intentions of the

speaker to the listener. This philosopher says that the member of a society can

understand message communicated to them because the share the same knowledge on

the language and communication rules in the context of their cultural life situation.

1.2 The Research Focus

The general focus of this research deals with the cultural knowledge of

Toba-Batak wedding ceremony on the sequence and interpretation of the umpasa(s)

presented. This focus can be specifically broken down into some divisions. The

purpose of the division is to conceptualize the variables of the research. The first

division is dealing with sequencing the themes of umpasa; first, middle and final. The

second division, the sequenced umpasa(s) are going to be analyzed and classified

what genre can be found in it. The third division is to interpret the meaning of

umpasa(s) presented in the Toba-Batak wedding ceremony. The chiefs of custom

(Raja Adat) will be politely investigated as long as the ceremony goes on.

1.3 The Research Problems

In congruent with the focus of the research mentioned in the previous page,

the problem statements of this research can be formulated in the form of a question

as follows

1. What are the interpretation of the first, middle, and final of umpasa in the

wedding ceremony of Toba-Batak?

2. What types of genre can be derived from the sequenced umpasa(s)?

How do the Toba-Bataks interpret these umpasa(s)?

4. What lexicograrnmatical aspects are textually used to form a certain genre in

the presentation of umpasa?

1.4 The Research Objectives

Based on the formulation of the four research problems above, so the

research objectives can be stated as follows

l. to describe out the sequences of umpasa in the Toba-Batak wedding ceremony,

2. to derive the potential types of genre in the sequenced umpasa(s),

3. to interpret the meanings of umpasa(s) communicated and

4. to investigate the linguistic aspects of umpasa(s) presentation in order to for a

specific genre.

1.5 The Research Significance

The findings of this research may have two general significances i.e.

theoretical and practical significance. The findings of this research may have some

theoretical findings. The finding may provide a new contribution to the development

of the conceptual knowledge on the production and interpretation of the language use

in the society. Beside, they may inform how people conduct a communicative

interaction in the context of the society' s activities. In addition to that, they may

account the aspects of the situation which are related to a speech act occurs in a cultural situation. Moreover, they may provide the empirical rules on how people use

and interpret a speech in a cultural situation.

The findings of the research may also have some practical significances. The

findings may be used to improve the quality of conscious knowledge (Tampubolon,

2001) of the Toba-Batak on how to use and interpret umpasa(s) in the wedding

ceremony. Beside, they may be used to help the Toba-Batak people how to participate

saying umpasa(s) in the wedding ceremony. In addition to that, they may help the

Toba-Batak to differentiate the meaning of umpasa(s) in a daily conversation from its

situations in the Toba-Batak wedding ceremony and other cultural events. Moreover,

they may help a person to become a fluent speaker in Toba-Batak wedding ceremony.

CHAPTERV

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

5,1 CONCLUSIONS

The Toba-Batak people present

umpasas

to communicate their emotion in

the wedding ceremony. They present them to communicate their happiness for the

purpose of the blessing in the life of the new couple in the future.

The Toba-Batak people present

umpasas

to do three generally socio-cultural

functions in the wedding ceremony. Firstly to bless the new couple to have unity and

harmony, long life, to have children, prosperity, health, and dignity. Secondly is to

strengthen the belief of the new couple, to make happy, and to show the social

tolerance to the hosts. Thirdly is to participate in a socio-cultural and theological

communication in the wedding ceremony.

The Toba-Batak people share the same knowledge on the systematic pattern

to interpret the function of

umpasas

to do certain thing. This research deals with the

writing through the sequence of occurrence of

umpasas

in the Toba-Batak wedding

ceremony, aims at fmding out the occurrence of

umpasas

presented in the wedding

ceremony, derive the potential types of text (genre) in the sequence of occurrence of

umpasas,

the interpretation of

umpasas

communicated, and investigate linguistics

aspects of

umpasas

presentation.

The result implies that;

1. The interpretation of the sequence of occurrence of

umpasas

in the Toba-Batak

people wedding ceremony; firstly is to have harmony, second is to have children,

third is to have prosperity, and the final is to have dignity, (2) the potential genre

dominantly found is procedure, (3) the Toba-Batak people use those

umpasas

to do

certain action in the wedding ceremony. The Toba-Batak people interpret those

umpasa

to do emotive function, the express emotion, and the directive function in the

wedding ceremony, (4) after labeling the process types existing in the sequence of

occurrence of

umpasas,

it can be concluded, material process is dominantly fo und,

and the type of circumstances dominantly used is circwnstances of location.

5,2; SUGGESTIONS

This research recommend to the Toba-Batak people pragmatic text book

writer to consider the finding of this research to develop of the conceptual knowledge

of the Toba-Batak people on the systematic pattern of the cultural behavior in the

sequence of occurrence and interpretation of

umpasa(s)

to do certain action in the

wedding ceremony in the Toba-Batak society.

Since the focus of the study conducted in this research is limited to only

wedding ceremony, the other researchers are recommended to study the sequence

which has relation to the structure or organization of

umpasas

or the use and the

interpretation of

umpasas

in a more comprehensive situations, since Toba-Batak

people are rich with

umpasa

which are used for different cultural ceremony with

different

umpasa.

These are the contents of

umpasa

as for prayer, advise, hope,

prosperity, long life, etc. It is suggested to learn them, because this

umpasa

is

effective to be used in motivating people, i.e .. baptism ceremony, death ceremony,

birth ceremony, congratulation ceremony. Such comprehensive situation may give a

more detail knowledge of the Toba-Batak people on the production and

interpretation of

umpasa

in the cultural life situation of the Toba-Batak people at

large.

The other researchers are also suggested to conduct a replicated research by

using the other theories of pragmatics. The sum of the findings will lead to the most

believable knowledge of the Toba-Batak on how to use and interpret

umpasa

in the

life of the Toba-Batak people.

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