The Understanding of Urug Gedang Village Community toward

‘Kayu’ Lexicon of Pakpakdairi Language

Dairi Sapta Rindu Simanjuntak

, Dwi Widayati

, Tengku Silvana Sinar

Sastra Inggris, Universitas Putera Batam, Batam, Indonesia

Sastra Indonesia, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia

Lingusitik,Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia

Keywords: Ecolinguistics, ‘kayu’ lexicon, PakpakDairi Language

Abstract: In a linguistic perspective, changing in language reflected in changing the environment, both the cultural

environment and the natural environment. UGV

is on the slopes of the forest so it is rich in ‘kayu’

flora. 63

lexicons of 'kayu' PDL

in the UGV community were obtained through observation and interviews.

Furthermore, the lexicon was tested to three age groups, namely age ≥ 60 years, age 25-59 years, and 12-24

years to obtain data on their level of understanding. Descriptive method is used to analyze the data. The data

on the level of lexicon understanding for the group ≥ 60 years is 82.4%, 25-59 years is 64.4%, and 12-24

years is 12%. The effect of global change has changed people's mindsets and lifestyles from the traditional

life to the modern life. These conditions have change the understanding and interrelation of humans with

nature in that environment as well. Language as a source of literacy, so that all parties must have the ability

to understand and behave towards a culture as a national identity. To be able to win the global competition in

the current era of industrial revolution 4.0, strengthening language and socio-cultural education to create

competitive human resources are absolutely necessary.

1 INTRODUCTION

Ecolinguistics explains language phenomena with

ecological parameters. Einer Haugen is a figure of the

first linguistic paradigm who has combined language

with ecology. The ecology of language was

studiedfrom the interaction of languages that exist in

a cognitive person and also multilingual of

communities (Haugen, 1970). Fill (1993, in Lindo &

Bundsgaard, eds, 2000) defined ecolinguistics as the

study of linguistic that makes the ecology as the

object of its studies. In aperspective of ecolinguistic,

changes in nature and culture have an impact to the

language changes and also language changes have an

impact to the nature and culture. Reduced or

disappeared biota, fauna, or flora in certain natural

and cultural environments also change the

understanding and interrelation of humans with

nature in that environment (Simanjuntak, 2015).

Urug Gedang Village in Dairi Regency, North Sumatera Province, Indonesia

Tree in Pakpak Dairi language

Pakpak Dairi Language

The language level that is most rapidly changing

is the level of the lexicon. The relationship between

the two is explained in more detail by Sapir in Fill and

Mühlhäusler (2001), “The interrelation that exists in

the vocabulary level. It doesn’t exist for phonology

and morphology.” Ecology and social commnity who

speak with the language will reflect in the use of their

language vocabulary. Sapir further explained that

outwardly the language was influenced by the

environment underlying the user of a language. The

physical environment is reflected in languages that

have been influenced by social factors. However,

changes in the physical environment will be more

clearly visible from the language vocabulary.

This condition ultimately affects the use of

language, for example the use of the flora lexicon of

the Pakpak Dairi community at UGV. The Pakpak

Dairi community as native speakers understand the

meaning of the lexicon used in communicating

between speakers using the lexicon of forest or

Rindu Simanjuntak, D., Widayati, D. and Sinar, T.

The Understanding of Urug Gedang Village Community toward ‘Kayu’ Lexicon of Pakpakdairi Language.

In Proceedings of the International Conference on Education, Language and Society (ICELS 2019), pages 115-118

ISBN: 978-989-758-405-3

115

mountain plants, because plants or natural objects still

exist in the environment. As time changes, the

disappearance of plants, the destruction of nature, the

change of traditional to modern lifestyles,

technological developments, also contribute to the

change of language. Thus, the shrinking

understanding of lexical meaning and its function

which is the lexicon is mentioned but the existence of

objects which are related to the name of the plant is

hardly recognized by young generations. Evidence of

gaps and inequality of understanding across

generations, some ‘kayu’ lexicons that were once

commonly used by UGV people but are now rarely

used. For example the leksikon of bintatar

, gomet

dan ngikil

‘kayu’. These lexicons are currently only

controlled by the older generation because the

younger generation is now no longer related to the

plant.

Much research has been done on ethnic

languages, but few have tried to look at it from an

ecolinguistic perspective. Vice versa. For example,

the research of Solonchak & Pesina, (2014)entitled

"Lexicon Core and Its Functioning" was published in

the journal 'Language Sciences', and research by

Wenjuan, (2017)entitled "Ecolinguistics: Towards a

new harmony" published in the journal' Procedia-

Social and Behavioral Sciences. Both journals are

international journals based on scopus indexed. The

"Lexicon Core and Its Functioning" research focuses

on discussing critical issues related to word function

in verbal processes, and "Ecolinguistics: Towards a

new harmony" research discussing the issue of the

unification of ecolinguistic views of China and

Europe to propose a new ecolinguistic view.

Reflecting on the previous research, researcher

see that there are still deficiencies because the two

studies did not try to see how the understanding of a

community group, especially in terms of the use of

ethnic languages. Keep in mind that ecolinguistic

studies are subdisciplines of linguistics that cannot be

separated from social and cultural sciences. This is

what underlies researcher to uncover this

phenomenon. There are several reasons why this

research must be conducted,first; to prove that

changes in social structure and natural environment

can affect language use, second; ethnic language is a

symbol, identity and identity of a group, so it must be

preserved to avoid extinction considering that the use

of foreign languages is now considered a symbol of

success and also association, third; the initial function

This tree trunk is used as firewood

The leaves of this tree are used as a wrapper

fortraditional community food

of ethnic language as an intra-ethnic language now

only functions as a cultural tool whose context of

limited use in traditional ceremonies must be saved,

fourth; ethnic language is one of the ancestral heritage

that must be maintained. PDL as one of the regional

languages that is a cultural asset deserves to be

studied to record how much PDL changes and shifts

are due to changes in the community of it language.

The focus of the environment around the forest slopes

is an observation because the PDL speakers in UGV

Dairi Regency are in the mountains and hills. This

research is an input to the community in order to

increase the quantity of ethnic language used by

young generation and to involve them in activities

related to nature so that the gap in understanding

lexicon between parents and children can be

minimized, as well as related parties, namely the local

government or language body for learning ethnic

language is included in the school curriculum.

Considering ethnic languages are a source of culture

literacy, there must be a program of conservation,

revitalization, development, and language protection

that must be carried out by all parties.

2 METHOD

This researchused quantitative descriptive methods.

To obtain accurate lexicon data, interviews were

conducted with key informants with the criteria of

controlling PDL, aged over 65 years, working as a

farmer for more than 30 years, which was born and

raised at UGV. The ‘kayu’ lexicon data obtained from

the key informant was then tested to the local

community which was divided into three age groups,

namely age ≥ 60 years, age 25-59 years, and 12-24

years. Each group consists of 20 respondents.

Techniques for obtaining each level from the three

age groups use the following table:

Table 1: UGV Community Understanding Testing of the

‘kayu’ Lexicon.

Lexicon

≥60 Year

25 – 59

Year

12 – 24

Year

etc

Remarks:

This tree produces poisonous roots and was used to

catch fish in the river or in the lake

ICELS 2019 - International Conference on Education, Language, and Society

116

1: knowing, having seen and heard, was used

2: not knowing, never seeing, never being used but

having heard

3: not knowing, never seeing, never hearing, and

never being used

3 DISCUSSION AND RESULT

From the results of the interviews, 63 PDL ‘kayu’

lexicons were found at UGV. A lexicon is then

examined on each respondents groups by using the

testing techniques described earlier in the method

section. Based on the results of the tests carried out,

it was obtained the percentage level of understanding

of the ‘kayu’ lexicon in each age group of respondents

as follows:

Table 2: The Percentage of UGV Community UL4 toward

KayuLexicon.

Category

Age Group

≥ 60 Year

25-59 Year

12-24 Year

1038

82,4

811

64,4

150

170

13,5

146

11,8

214

4,1

303

23,8

896

Based on the table and diagram above shows that

the understanding of all respondents to the ‘kayu’

lexicon in category 1 (knowing, having seen and

heard, been used), the percentage of understanding of

the age group ≥ 60 years reached 82.4%. In 25-59

years group the percentage reached 64.4%

(experienced a decrease in understanding by 18%

compared to the age group ≥ 60 years). In the 12-24

year age group, the percentage of understanding is

12% (shrinkage reaches 70.4% of the age group ≥ 60,

and 52.4% of the group is over 25-59 years).

In Category 2 (not knowing, never seeing, never

being used but never heard), the percentage of

understanding of the age group ≥ 60 years of this

lexicon is 13.5%. In the age group 25-59 years to

11.8% (an increase of 1.7%). In the 12-24 year age

group, the percentage of comprehension reached 17%

(shrinking 3.5% of the age group ≥ 60 years, and

5.2% of the age group 25-59 years).

Understanding Level

Category 3 (not knowing, never seeing, never

hearing, and never being used), the percentage of

understanding of the age group ≥ 60 years reached

4.1%. The age group of 25-59 years is 23.8%

(shrinking 19.7% of the age group ≥ 60 years). The

12-24 year age group is 71% (66.9% shrinking from

the understanding of the age group ≥ 60 years, and

42.7% of the percentage of understanding of the age

group of 25-59 years).

The percentage data shows that the community's

understanding of the UGV against the PDL ‘kayu’

lexicon is clearly proven to be degraded.In the group

of respondents aged ≥ 60 years dominant in the first

category. This is according to predictions considering

that the majority of the activities of this age group are

still related to the ‘kayu’y plants. Many of these age

groups go to the forest slopes everyday. Because the

activity is still related to the plant, the lexicon also

still survives in their understanding. Depreciation of

understanding by 18% in the 25-59 year age group

occurred reflecting that many of the respondents in

this group did not depend on forest products anymore,

did not utilize forest products such as ‘kayu’ to

support their lives. Many of them have daily activities

in the village such as farming horticultural crops.

This certainly affects their understanding of the

‘kayu’ lexicon because its activities are less related to

the flora. Furthermore, in the age group 12-24 years,

some are included in the category of students and

some as daily workers in the city or in other villages.

Only 12% of all lexicons still survive in this group's

understanding. Respondents who understand 12% of

the lexicon are included in families who still depend

on forest products so that the condition requires that

they go with their parents to go to the forest after they

return from school. While 71% are in the third

category who have no idea about the lexicon. This

condition occurs because their relationship with the

plant does not exist.

They are not involved in activities related to the

plant. This happens also because of changes in

mindset. In understanding this age group, activities

such as gardening, farming, or whatever that still

describes traditional patterns of life are not characters

thinking of their age. They are saturated with

traditional life and want to improve the quality of life.

Parents also do not want their fate to be the same as

the fate of their children so they encourage young

people to focus on education and talent development.

This is what makes this generation no longer in touch

with the flora coupled with technological

developments that change their mindset and habits.

The Understanding of Urug Gedang Village Community toward ‘Kayu’ Lexicon of Pakpakdairi Language

117

4 CONCLUSION

This study presents how the social, cultural, and

environmental conditions changing can affect

people's behavior and language attitudes. The

phenomenon of lifestyle changes and mindset

certainly also affects the use of language. This

condition occurs in all ethnicities. This is what was

tried to be explained in this research to record what

the community's language understanding of ethnic

languages is specifically Pakpak Dairi ethnic who

live in UGV in the midst of changing styles and

lifestyles. The results of the research proved that there

is indeed a change in the level of mastery and

understanding of lexicons by the community in cross-

generations. Considering that ethnic language is a

cultural wealth, identity, and symbol of regional pride

that is increasingly eroded, there is no other way that

can be carried out other than rescue actions so that the

source of culture literacy is protected from extinction.

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