MALAY DIALECT VARIANTS IN LANGKAWI: A DIACHRONIC PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

Background and Purpose: Dialectical studies scrutinised the closeness, kinship or genealogy of dialects derived from a language. Previous scholars divide Malay dialects in Peninsular Malaysia into four main clusters. The first cluster are the Johor-Melaka-Selangor and Central Perak. The second cluster is a group that spreads from the Patani region covering the Patani-Kelantan-Terengganu dialect. The third is the Negeri Sembilan cluster, and the fourth is the Kedah dialect. Generally, the Kedah dialect is divided into seven groups, covering Kedah (including Langkawi), Perlis, Penang and northern Perak Taiping. This study aims to investigate the Malay dialect variants in Langkawi Island via the Historical Linguistics approach and qualitative comparison research design. Methodology: This study utilised the qualitative research method. A total of 23 native speakers of Langkawi Malay dialect participated in this study. These informants were selected using NORM (an acronym for non-mobile, older, rural and males). Data collection mainly used several techniques such as interviews, recordings, and observations. The data were analysed based on the scope of comparative linguistics. Findings: The findings show that there are five characteristics of separated innovation between the Kuah and Air Hangat variants in one group and the Kedawang variant in other groups. Furthermore, there are nine innovations that separate the Langkawi Malay dialect from the Proto Malayik language. This study indicates that the Kedawang variant is an earlier variant apart from the Kuah and Air Hangat variants. Contributions: In addition to further strengthen the research on the various dialects spoken in Malaysia, this study attempts to highlight the complete description of the Kedah dialect varieties. This study also contributes to the science of Malay language variants and Malay Dialectology studies. Keywords: Historical linguistics, reconstruction, innovation, Langkawi Island, Malay dialect. Cite as: Ab. Hamid, N., Shahidi, A. H., Aman, R., Ramli, N., Zakaria, Z., & Iswary, E. (2022). Malay dialect variants in Langkawi: A diachronic perspective analysis. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 7(1), 142-167. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol7iss1pp142-167

АНГЛІЙСЬКЕ ВЛАСНЕ ІМ’Я JACK І ПОХІДНІ ВІД НЬОГО ЕПОНІМИ: ГНІЗДОВЕ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ

The English name Jack is one of the most common names in English-speaking countries, which has become a derivate for a large number of derived eponyms. The lack of a comprehensive study of this word family determines the relevance of our research. The article is made within the framework of comparative-historical linguistics, lexical semantics, and onomastics. The article aims to explore the structure of the derivative-semantic word family with a stem anthroponym eng. Jack. As a result, the structural types of secondary word family constituents and the main directions of semantic evolution of the creative lexeme and its common nouns derivatives, including phraseological units, were identified. All derived eponyms of the name Jack were divided into the following micro-families: representatives of living nature (males, plants, animals), inanimate objects (mechanisms – any things that have replaced human labor or with which something can be done) and an intermediate link of lexemes denoting the image of a man.

Relationship of Muna Language, Ciacia, Tukang Besi and Culambacu (Lexicostatistic and Glotochronology Study)

This article is motivated by the results of the 2019 SIL research that the languages ​​in Southeast Sulawesi Province vary in category. Some are strong and some are threatened. Among the languages ​​that are categorized as threatened are the Muna language, the Ciacia language, while the Tukang Besi language is included in the strong language group. However, there are still several languages ​​that have not been listed in the SIl research, namely the Culamabacu language. This article discusses the kinship between the Muna language, Ciacia language, the Tukang Besi language and the Culambacu language. This paper uses the theory of comparative historical linguistics with lexicostatistical and glotochronological methods. The results of the analysis of the four languages ​​are that the percentage of Muna and Ciacia language kinship is 49%, Muna language kinship with Tukang Besi 43%, Muna language with Culambacu language 36%, Ciacia language with Tukang Besi 43%, Ciacia language with Culambacu language is 37%, the Tukang Besi language is with Culambacu language 33%. Based on the glottochronology, the Ciacia language and Muna language have a separate year of 1912-1532, the Ciacia language and the Tukang Besi language have a separate year of 2279-183, the Ciacia language and Culambacu language have the years 2587-2211, the Muna language and the Tukang Besi language have a 2371-2335 year, Muna language with Culambacu language has the years 2658-2272, the Tukang Besi language with Culambacu language has a separate year 2885-2465.