ISSN 0216 - 809X (Print) ISSN 2685– 4112 (Online)

Apologizing in the : A Cross-Cultural Comparison Study on Politeness Strategies

1 1 Burhanuddin Muhammad Arham 1,Akademi Bahasa Asing UMI, Makassar [email protected]

Abstrak

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menemukan variasi bahasa yang digunakan oleh sekelompok masyarakat, khususnya bahasa Makassar. Penulis tertarik dalam menemukan beberapa cara dalam meminta maaf dalam bahasa Makassar dalam konteks situasi yang berbeda. Penulis menggunakan wawancara semi-struktural dalam mendapatkan data tersebut, dan telah mewa- wancarai 3 (tiga) orang yang bekerja di bidang kebudayaan dan sejaran di Museum Lagaligo di kantor Balai Arkeologi Selatan. Data yang ditemukan telah menunjukkan bahwa menarik untuk diketahui beberapa cara meminta maaf dalam Bahasa Makassar dan dalam situasi yang berbeda-beda., dan dipadukan dengan item-item bahasa, speech community, variasi bahasa dan bahasa standard. Dan yang paling menonjol terdapat pada variasi bahasa yang digunakan dalam meminta maaf seperti mengunjungi seseorang, makan dan minum, interaksi sosial seperti perkawinan, minta maaf atas suatu kesalahan, dan lain-lain.

Kata Kunci : Minta Maaf, Bahasa Makassar

Abstract

This study aims to find variations in the language used by a group of people, especially the Ma- kassar language. The author is interested in finding several ways to apologize in the Makassar language in the context of different situations. The author uses semi-structural interviews in obtaining the data, and has interviewed 3 (three) people who work in the field of culture and history at the Lagaligo Museum in the Archaeological Office. The data found has shown that it is interesting to know a number of ways to apologize in the Makassar language and in different situations, and integrated with language items, speech communities, language variations and standard . And the most prominent is the variety of languages used in apologizing such as visiting someone, eating and drinking, social interactions such as marriage, apologizing for an error, and others.

Keywords : Apologize, Makassar Language

1. Introduction Regency and Pangkajene Regency and the Makassar is one of the most historic Islands. Where they use different language cities in , and the largest city in the variations such as dialects, registers, and eastern part of Indonesia. Makassar is the others. capital city of South Sulawesi province They generally have different which is located in the southern part of the language variations due to their geographical southern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi. location, education, culture and social status. During the Portuguese era, Makassar, they have their own traditions called it the name of the whole island of especially when they hold weddings, Sulawesi or Selebes. Makassar is the name housewarming parties, and celebrations of a of an ethnicity, place, language and a group birth or a bountiful harvest. of people. Makassarese language is one of The daily life traditions of the the regional languages in South Sulawesi Makassar people are interesting and unique, which is used by Makassar people who live such as when playing drama, tragedy and in nine districts and cities. Such as Makassar comedy. This tradition brings us the city, , , opportunity to analyze it, when they carry , Selayar Regency, Maros out social interactions. What we are going to

VOL 16 NO 2 DECEMBER 2017 57 ISSN 0216 - 809X (Print) ISSN 2685– 4112 (Online) analyze is a way of expressing things to others such as when apologizing, asking for 3.2 Apologizing in English something and inviting them to an event. In English there are several ways to In this paper the author focuses on apologize, and the most widely used is 'Sorry' analyzing the ways Makassarese apologize in or 'I, I'm sorry'. You can also use the word Makassar. What are the variations of the 'Apology' which is more empathetic with the Makassar language? And how is it used words very or very, so, terribly, and among those who come from different extremely. Example; I, m sorry for being late, backgrounds? sorry I'm late, or I, m extremely sorry for beng late. When you are going to apologize out of the blue for example when we step 2. Method over someone's foot or touch someone's leg, The method used in this writing is you can say 'Sorry' or I beg your pardon. But qualitative descriptive. According to Berg, "I beg your pardon" is seldom used in (2007: p.3) in Muhammad (2011: p.30) that modern English anymore. A note; American qualitative research leads to meanings, English speakers will usually say 'Excuse me' concepts, definitions, metaphor in such situations. characteristics, symbols and descriptions of something. Therefore, research will get data 3.3 Apologize; interrupt, annoy, from non-statistical data and then explain it. approach, or leave someone. This method aims to explain everything • When criticizing / interrupting someone related to the writer or research topic. In this you will apologize politely by saying 'Excuse case, the writer explains what Apology is in me "or' Sorry for being interrupt 'or' Sorry to Makassar language? (Language Items and Interrupt 'or ' I have something to say”. Language Varieties). Language items and • When disturbing someone you can language variations, and how is Apology apologize by saying "Excuse me" or "I used from a different background? Semi- am sorry to disturb you" another structured interviews are interviews that the example; Sorry to disturb you at this late writer uses to collect data. hour, sorry to disturb you at this late The group of participants in this paper hour or time. Or 'Sorry to disturb you again, sorry I bothered you again. are those who work in the fields of culture and • When you approach someone, for history. The writer or researcher uses example when you want to approach a purposive sampling technique to collect data. stranger, you can use this expression Purposive sampling technique is used to 'Excuse me'. Example; is there a fairly determine the participants by considering cheap restaurant near here? '. Sometimes everything. (Sugiono, 2009) 'Pardon me' is used in the above situation which is usually used in Americans. For 3. Findings and Discussion example, 'Pardon me Major, I wonder if 3.1 Apologizing you could do me a favor ?. According to A.S. Hornby in his • When leaving someone for a short time dictionary Advance Learner’s Dictionary of while we have other activities. We can Current English (1973:29) Apologize is a use 'Excuse me' for example; 'Excuse statement/regret for doing wrong, beeing me, I have to make a telephone call, I'll impolite or hurting someone’s feeling. be right back’. It is like the British when they say “sorry” • When apologizing for something even though they are not supposed to embarrassing, we can also say "Excuse apologize but they still do. In this article me" or I beg your pardon "when holding "being an Englishman" always says "Sorry" the waist or sneezing. (published in online mail, 2008). A well- • When err. The words that are usually known British novelist, playwright and used are 'Sorry' or 'I beg your pardon' all article author of these are used when making a "Keith Waterhouse" humorously wrote the mistake, using out of place words say following; May I offer a Tip to would be 'Sorry or I beg your pardon'. brits? If you want to get your passport don't worry about the wording of your national 3.4 Formal Apologies anthem because nobody in the government If we apologize in a formal way, you can use did or hanged the union jack. What you have the word 'Apologize', for example; I apologize got will be really nice if you apologize or for my bad behavior, I apologize for my bad sorry. treatment. I really must apologize for my bad

VOL 16 NO 2 DECEMBER 2017 58 ISSN 0216 - 809X (Print) ISSN 2685– 4112 (Online) manner, I really have to apologize for my bad two different rules (one makes the passive manner or nature. Or another formal way is and the other removes the "by" agent, "Please accept my apologies", or say "Forgive in this case "by us", then we may doubt me". Example; Forgive me, Mr. Bur, I'm very whether the analysis is correct, since rules late for our meeting, I was held up in traffic '. are a linguistic item. In comparison, the statement could easily be made by referring 3.5 Language Items to the abstract construction / arrangement not A discussion will be easier if we use using "by”. several technical terms. As we have to distance ourselves from the concepts 3.6 Language Variations described by language and dialect. What is If one thinks of "Language" as a an acceptable reflection of our culture is phenomenon which includes all languages called common sense or knowledge in the world. The term variety of language, knowledge and is useless for the field of or just a brief variation, can be used to sociolinguistics. First of all we need the denote different manifestations. Likewise individual term, 'bits of language' as the "Musi" is a phenomenon and can sociolinguistic circles of expression are distinguish many variations in that music. mentioned, where more global statements What makes a language variation different are not so important. We have used the term with the same linguistic item as social Linguistic Items or items in linguistics and distribution? This definition leads us to give continued to use it as a technical term. it the term 'variety of language'. English, What is Item Linguistics? The answer French, English People London, English to this question leads to the theory of the football commentators, The language structure of language, and people will give spoken by members of the long-house in the different answers according to the theory that northwestern Amazon, the language or they fit into the review of the structure of languages spoken by certain people. language. Those who accept some version of It will be noted that at least it falls into transformational - generative linguistics (for the general assumption of "variation" including example, according to Chomsky 1965) are others that are normally called; languages, likely to say that the Linguistic Items are; (i) dialects, and registers. With other words 'Style', lexical items, (ii) a rule of various kinds of which will be discussed. The advantage of pronunciation and lexical meanings in a taking generic terms to cover all the basic sentence, (iii) the limitations of the various concepts. Why do they call it different rules, in other words we have to assume that variations and dialects? The conclusion may be this theory is nothing but looking for seen as radical, but the definition of 'variation' sociolinguistic statements refers to individual given above, and the examples given in the list lexical items, their rules and limitations. In suggest a larger legacy of the linguistic other words, not all linguists or linguists will tradition. It will be noted that it would be accept this answer. As an example; there is an consistent with the definition to treat all accepted tradition in linguistics or linguistics languages as speakers or multilingual that emphasizes 'construction' rather than rules communities, as a single-variety, since all (eg, Bolinger 1975: 139), wherein a linguistic items have a social distribution and construction or arrangement as an abstract they feel open to other speakers or example is like 'adjective + noun', and apart communities. A variation may be greater than from this tradition the answer is is included verse language, including the number of also the construction or arrangement (even as a different languages. Conversely, by definition substitute) of rules and construction. a variation that may contain only a handful of Fortunately, there is no need to items or even be an extreme in an item. decide between the answers, but it seems Language that is directly related to society that this includes a linguistic approach to consists of statements that lead to the language language structure that can exclude aspect, either individual from linguistic items everything else. For example, let's look at or variations thereof, which are called a set of those sentences,; "The liquid was boiled", is items. No emphasis with various language preferred in a scientific report such as "we variations. The variations can complement boiled the liquid". Or the 'liquid was boiled each other. The definition of each by us'. In order to give a true statement of characteristic is relevant in relation to society. this fact, we need to relate the first type of In other words, by whom, and when, the sentence or the one that is relevant to the related items should be used. Indeed it is an social context, but how are such sentences empirical question what causes the traditional defined? If that means simply referring to mind of a language, dialects and registers to be

VOL 16 NO 2 DECEMBER 2017 59 ISSN 0216 - 809X (Print) ISSN 2685– 4112 (Online) adjusted according to the variations attractive if it has a special relationship to interpreted in this matter. As we will note in society. One side is abnormal if it appears the next session, the adjustment is probably contradicting the context for the tens, the best, and in some societies and hundreds, even thousands of years that the individuals, it may be difficult to identify language was spoken. On the other hand, it is those variations that are interrelated, even thought that normal language development roughly in the traditional category. happens carelessly. Standard language is a language that produces direct and free 3.7 Speech Community relations in society. This intervention is It may be useful at this point to called 'standardization' which results in a discuss the various communities to which variations or items can be linked. The term standard language where previously there Speech Community is widely used by were only dialects. The presumption of the sociological experts to note that it is a standard language is correct, but it is a community based on language, but the distinctive standard language that has had to linguistic community also uses the same go through the following process (Haugen meaning. If a speech community can be 1966; on a different list, see Garvin and defined, then it can be studied, and it is Mathiot 1956). likely that interesting differences in their • Selection –other specific variations language can be found between the should have been selected as they were communities associated with those developed into the standard language. communities. The study of the speech Being a variety of existing or living as community becomes interesting for its important political and commercial linguists. At least there is an opinion from use, and can be a wide variety of Leonard Bloomfield in his book 'Language', mixtures. In this case its use is in social (1933: cq 3). However, there is a confusing interests. However in some cases the and conflicting consideration of what a variations chosen are those that have no speech community actually is as in the native speakers at all. As an example of following survey: a short definition of classical Hebrew in Israel and "Speech Community" according to John Indonesian, ( a newly created language) Lyons (1970: 326): In Indonesia (Bell 1976; 167). a. Speech Community: everyone who • Codification - how many agencies or uses the given language (or speech). academies should have written According to the definition, the speech dictionaries and grammar books to suit community may be compatible with the variety or diversity of languages, so individuals who are bilingual and need that everyone agrees on what is true or social relations or cultural units. appropriate. Once such codification occurs, it will be necessary for any Obviously, it is possible to limit ambitious citizen to learn the correct languages and dialects. form and not use in writing any form b. There is still a more complex definition that is not correct 'may be in the original written by Charles Hockett (1958: 8) variation which actually occurred over 'that each language is defined as a the years in the child's career in school. speech community, a whole collection • Elaboration of function – it should be of people with one another, either important to use the selected variation directly or indirectly through common in all functions associated with central language. government in writing. For example in c. The following definitions emphasize parliament, or in court of law, in the the overall language shared among bureaucracy, education, and all kinds communities. A simple form given by of scientific documents, and of course Leonardo Bloomfield (1933: 42). That in literary form. This requires the speech community is a group of additional linguistic items to add to the people who interact through speech. variation. • Specifically technical words, but also 3.8 Standard Language important to develop new discoveries for It might be fair to say that only a forms that still access how to formulate variation of the language would be questions, how to write formal letters considered a proper 'Proper Language' (the and so on. second sense of the language) that is the standard language. Standard language is

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• Acceptance – the variation must be Maaf bisa saya masuk kedalam rumah? accepted by the relevant population as a Kipammopporangnga’ kuallei bayao variation from the usual and real janganta………….. society. (Please forgive me, I stole your egg) Maafkan saya pernah mencuri telur 3.9 Makassar, an Ethnicity ayamnya Makassar is one of the ethnic groups in Kipammopporangnga’ takkalupa- Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi. The ka’……………………. Makassar ethnic group has its own language (I am sorry, I forgot) Maaf saya lupa used by not only the Makassar people Kipammopporangnga’ iratenagnga themselves, but also the Bugis, Mandar and mempo…………….. Toraja ethnic groups. The Makassarese live (I am sorry, I am sitting in the higher along the southern peninsula of the island of position) Sulawesi, both Makassar and Bugis are of Maaf saya duduk lebih tinggi the Malay family, have a firm character, somewhat hard-tempered people compared Extract Two: to other Malay families. There are several Pammopporangnga’ rikuserota……….. districts in South Sulawesi that speak the Sorry for touching you Makassar language including: Makassar Maaf saya menyentuh anda City, Gowa Regency, Takalar Regency, Pammopporangnga ritassalaiyya……… Bantaeng Regency, , and Sorry for my mistakes Regency. The Makassar tribe Maaf atas kesalahanku has their own writing called "Lontara" data Pammopporangnga’ ritassalaku ruang from the Smart Book of South Sulawesi alloa……….. (Shaf Muhtamar, 2006). Sorry for my mistake two days ago Maaf atas kesalahan saya dua hari 3.10 Findings yang lalu The semi-interview took place at the fort Pammopporangnga tena kubattu… na- Rotterdam at Jalan Ujung Pandang No. 1. At saba garringnga……….. Sorry for not 11-13 noon on 24 October 2016. By using a coming cause I was sick mobile phone recorder. Maaf saya tidak datang karena saya Extract One: sakit Ki pammopporangga’ anjo kasala- Pammopporangnga’ kalappala kanama hanku lebbaka………….. anne mempo ngaseng miki rong (please forgive me for my mistake in riolongna rong nakke………. the past) Sorry for sitting in front of you Maafkan saya pada kesalahanku yang all lalu Saya minta maaf karena saya Tabe’ Ammot- duduk didepan kalian semua ere’ma………………………… Tabe’ battua’ anne makkutana (Excuse me, I will go home right now) ribaji’ka…….barakkulle naki sisam- Maaf saya sudah mau pulang bung pammanakang……………… Kipammopporangnga’ tena kusan- Excuse me, I am coming to ask if there gajai………………………. is possibility to make closer of our fam- (I am sorry, I did not mean to touch ily you) Maaf saya bertanya sekiranya ada Mafkan saya, saya tidak sengaja kemungkinan kita mendekatkan kemba- Kipammopporangnga’ tena li keluarga kucini’ki………………….. Pammopporangnga’ takkulleku sipan- (Sorry, I did not see you) jariang ri liba’-libayya…………… Maaf saya tidak melihat anda Please apology me for not being able Kipammopporangnga Karaeng Allah marry you Taala…………….. Saya minta maaf karena kita tidak (Oh God.....please forgive me) sejodoh Maafkanlah saya yaa Allah Maaf….. Ero’ka antama ribal- Extract Three: la’ta……………………….. Maiki’ akka’do………….. (Excuse me, May I come into your Excuse me could you come and eat house?) with us

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Maaf, ayo makan bersama saya Extract Two: Maeki appaballe………………. (Source: Daeng Lala (49), works as a Excuse me, come and eat with us tour guide and free lance guide, and an Maaf, mari makan English instructor at Fort Rotterdam Nia’ka anne battu mae rikatte ero’ ap- Makassar. He does use a lot of prefixes like pala poporo’…………. "KI" ...... which Daeng Sulle has used, but I am coming here to ask for apology sayings or expressions he uses meaningfully Saya datang disini untuk memnta maaf after the word 'Pammopporangnga' such as Ni’ka anne mae battu ero’ passisam- the word 'Rikuserota', 'Ritassalaiyya', bungi anu kodia na kulle baji……… 'Kalappala', Makkutana riibaji'ku ',' Please apologize me, I am coming to Kammama 'anne', …… He also mentions real tighten our relationship words which relates to his experience in Saya minta maaf, saya datang untuk polygamy. mempererat hubungan kita Extract Three: Pammopporangnga’ ripanggau kangku (Informant: Pak Imran, works at the lebba’ laloa……….. asylum office and archaeological center of Please give apology my past mistake South, West and Southeast Sulawesi. Which Maafkan atas kesalahanku yang lalu is also based in Fort Rotterdam Makassar. Pammopporangnga’ ku ulangi He expressed words or expressions in bicarangku er’na kamma anne………. apologizing according to his daily activities Excuse me, I would like to say some- that he found in the district area. Takalar. thing But he rarely uses the word Maaf, saya mau katakan sesuatu 'Pammopporangnga' in apologizing and it Pammopporangnga’ sari’ seems that he uses words like allowing battang someone to do something. Like; le’ba’ka’ takkalupa………. maeki……,nia'ka …………., ero'ma Please apologize me my brother, I used ……… but what's interesting about the to forget something words? What's interesting is that when he Maafkan saya saudara, saya pernah apologized to Allah SWT, He said "Batara khilaf Allah Ta Allah" where the other Makassar Pammopporangnga’ Sali’ban- tribes generally say "Karaeng Allah Ta tangku…………………. Allah". Please give me apology my brother Maafkan saya saudaraku 4. Conclusion Pammopporangnga’ rikasalangku Makassar has become a world city sarri’battang…….. today, the most historic city in the Please apologize me for my mistake my archipelago since the 14th century. Makassar brother people, who generally live in coastal areas, Maafkan saya saudara atas kesala- are known for their skilled sailors who have hanku navigated the entire coast of the archipelago Pammopporangnga’ Batara and parts of the world. The authors are Malompoa………………. Teachers, experienced Please forgive me God, the Almighty Tour Guides and storytellers about Makassar Ampunilah aku yaa Allah yang maha and South Sulawesi, shown to both domestic kuasa and foreign tourists. Exploring books related to the history of Makassar and South 3.11 Discussion Sulawesi. Makassar is Indonesia's center Extract One: point and transit area and is now a living (Source: Daeng Sulle (49) works as a room which has a cluster of small islands, the civil servant at the "Lagaligo" Museum in islands which the Dutch call it the Fort Rotterdam Makassar) he uses the prefix "Spermonde Islands". "KI" before PAM …… .. seems more polite Apologizing in the Makassar language in apologizing, compared to the other two as an ethnicity in South Sulawesi is part of sources. He talked more about his experiences the Linguistics Items and the variety of in the field as a Makassar tribe who lives in languages used to manifest social Makassar. The word SORRY he uses is contributions. This paper is far from "Pammopporangnga" after the prefix "KI" ... perfection and the it is suggested that there to make the word "sorry" more polite, but has are further study into many more variations several variations. in apologizing in the Makassar language for the Makassar tribe especially in the

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