ISSN: 2527-8037 Proceedings of the First Reciprocal Graduate Research Symposium between University Pendidikan Sultan Idris and Syiah Kuala University, February 26-28, 2016, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia SPEAKERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS ACEHNESE DIFFERENT DIALECTS Zulfadli Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, Indonesia [email protected] Abstract The Acehnese language is devided mainly into four different dialects: North Acehnese, Pidie dialect, Greater Acehnese, and West Acehnese. This study aims at investigating the attitudes of speakers of Acehnese towards the dialect differences of the language. The data were obtained through semi-structured interview method. The results of the study showed that mostly the Acehnese speakers regard North Acehnese as ‘good’ and ‘standard’, ‘refined,’ and polite. Meanwhile, they perceived the West Acehnese as a stigmatised dialect (e.g. kasar ‘rough’, impolite, and inferior), and therefore they also judge its speakers negatively, stereotyping them as ‘crude’. Keywords: language attitudes, Acehnese dialect differences, stigmatized dialect. INTRODUCTION Acehnese is the most widely spoken language in the Province of Aceh, in addition to other indigenous languages such as Gayonese, Aneuk Jamee, Alas, Kluet, etc. The majority of Acehnese speakers live in coastal areas in the Province, but they have also spread along the outer southern, western, and northern coastal fringes of Aceh. The number of Acehnese speakers is approximately 2.4 million (Arka, 2008, p. 67). Apart from within the Province of Aceh, Acehnese is also spoken by those of Acehnese descent who have lived in Kampung Aceh (Village of Aceh) in Yan district in Kedah, Malaysia (Yusuf, Pillai & Ali, 2012, p. 1). Acehnese consists of several dialects. According to Durie (1985, p. 4), the work of Hurgronje (1892), has been “rich in dialect variants” of Acehnese around Banda Aceh and coastal areas. Cowan (1981) has also divided Acehnese into four main dialects: banda or Lowlands (Baroh) language, Upper Country (Tunong), Pidie/Pase, and Daya. This division at least provides a picture of dialect distribution in the region. 243 Speakers’ attitudes towards Acehnese different dialects by Zulfadli Ali, et al. (1983) claims that the Acehnese language is divided into several geographical dialects: Greater Aceh, Pidie, Peusangan, Pasai, East Timur, and West Aceh. They also consider Peusangan and Pasai, spoken in North Aceh, as separate dialects. Akbar, et al. (1985), on the other hand, include the dialects of Peusangan, Pasai, and East Aceh in the North Aceh dialect because they have similar characteristics. Ali and his colleagues also mention the Pidie and Greater Aceh dialects, but not the West Aceh dialect. Surprisingly, however, Akbar, et al. (1985) suggested three dialects spoken in West Aceh: Kuala Daya, Lam No (or Lamnoe), and Lam Me dialects. These dialects, according to them, are located in Jaya district, which used to be the Jaya subdistrict of the West Aceh district. Following the proposals of Cowan (1981), Ali, et al. (1983), and Akbar, et al. (1985) on the divisions of Acehnese dialects, Asyik (1987) divides Acehnese into four dialects: Banda Aceh, Pidie, Pase, and Meulaboh. Even though the number of dialects remains the same as proposed by Cowan, there are some differences in Asyik’s classifications which seem to be more straightforward and clearer. He includes Banda into the Greater Aceh dialect, which covers Greater Aceh, Banda Aceh and Sabang, with some 452,000 speakers. Asyik also separates the Pidie and Pase dialects into two separate dialects; Pidie, which is used in the Pidie area (about 512,000 speakers), and the Pase or North Aceh dialect, which is used in North Aceh and East Aceh (about 1,400,000 speakers). The other dialect mentioned by Asyik (1987) is the West Aceh dialect, covering western and southern Aceh, with about 540,000 speakers. The number of speakers of each dialect is approximate. These figures are based on the population of areas where the four dialects are spoken, and taken from the results of the population census in 2010 (BPS, 2010) (see Zulfadli, 2014). The differences across dialects occur mainly in, among other things, aspects of the phonological system, grammatical rules and lexical distinctions (Zulfadli, 2014). The pronunciation system and vocabulary dissimilarity have served as obvious and salient distinctions in Acehnese dialects (Al-Harbi, 2002). It can be seen, for example, in the use of keh in the North Aceh dialect, balum in the Pidie/Greater Aceh dialect, and ipôk in the West Aceh dialect for ‘pocket’. With the various characteristics of each Acehnese dialect, people can generally identify the dialect background of an Acehnese speaker when they listen to the language variation he/she uses. Towards certain speakers of different dialects, the Acehnese people have different reactions and opinions. Based on the daily experience, I observed that speakers of Pidie and North Aceh dialects, for example, react unfavourably towards the dialects of West Aceh. The reactions and opinions that the people have towards a language variety is usullay referred to as language attitudes. These attitudes are the combination of feeling and judgement (Ajzen, 2005, p. 3). In regard to attitudes towards language, people usually do not only judge the language as a medium, they also evaluate the users of the language. Such attitudes are often expressed towards the language itself, the speakers or their ethnicity (Klerk & Bosch, 1994, p. 50). The attitudes towards a language may be based around spelling, grammar, lexical items, pronunciation or accent, as well as the speed with which someone speaks (Garrett, 244 Proceedings of the First Reciprocal Graduate Research Symposium between University Pendidikan Sultan Idris and Syiah Kuala University, February 26-28, 2016, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia 2011, p. 2), and listeners can respond in immediate reflex ways to particular linguistic features, quickly evoking particular attitudes, judgements and connection or disconnection with the speaker. The attitudes of people towards language usage are usually based on whether the status of the variant is high or low. When a sub-group of a speech community thinks it is higher in status it tends to believe that its language variety is superior, and therefore they feel favourable and positive towards it. There are, of course, other factors that may influence peoples’ attitudes towards language difference, such as the country of origin of speakers, sociopolitical relationships between countries, and the reasons for speakers coming and staying in the destination country (Szecsy, 2008, p. 45). These factors will contribute to the attitude of people towards certain language varieties. Studies of language attitudes have mainly explored the occurrence of stigmatisation of linguistic minorities (Giles & Billings, 2004). The attitude that is shared by the Acehnese towards the dialect differences as mentioned above is investigated in this study. It needs to be done so that the question whether the speakers of Acehnese really perceive the West Acehnese as stigmatized can be answered. METHODOLOGY In order to obtain the data on the attitudes of Acehnese speakers towards the dialect differences (North Acehnese, Pidie dialect, Greater Acehnese, and West Acehnese) in the language, semi-structured interview methods were used. To meet the suggested criteria, a series of questions were designed and asked in relaxed conversations regarding the respondents’ language background and their beliefs to the dialect differences in Acehnese. Those who participated in semi-structured interviews had lived in Banda Aceh for at least three years. They were randomly chosen based on the criteria that they had previously studied or they are still studying in Banda Aceh. During this stay in the city, they had gotten in touch with people from different dialect backgrounds. The number of people in this category was 94, including 36 males (38.3%) and 58 females (61.7%). Their age range was 21-35 years old and the mean age was 25 years. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The speakers of four different dialects of Acehnese (North Acehnese, Pidie dialect, Greater Acehnese, and West Acehnese) are readily mutually intelligible and, as their names suggest, they have arisen in different geographical regions of the province. The identification of Acehnese people through dialect can be seen solely on the basis of the use of trilled [r] in North Acehnese in place of the West Achenese uvular [ʁ], without needing any other differentiating dialect markers. Speakers of West Acehnese are stigmatised by North Acehnese speakers. The majority of North Acehnese people regard the West Aceh dialect as kasar ‘rough’, impolite, and inferior, and therefore judge its speakers negatively, stereotyping them as ‘crude’. The notions of halus ‘refined’ and kasar ‘rough’ are commonly used 245 Speakers’ attitudes towards Acehnese different dialects by Zulfadli in Indonesian society when people are asked to give their opinion towards a certain language or language variety. When some people listen to speakers of low prestige varieties, they promptly form conclusions about the personality of these speakers, and associate them with certain stereotypes such as ‘uneducated’, ‘impolite’, etc. Giles and Coupland (1991, p. 58) argue that it is very easy and quick for someone to “stereotype others’ personal and social attributes on the basis of language cues and in ways that appear to have crucial effects on important social decisions made about them.” Attitudes toward language can manifest in many ways. Korth (2005, p. 24) suggests that the attitudes of a larger group play a dominant role in individuals taking a stand accordingly. He continues that it is very common for the speakers of the “dominant language group” to believe that their language is better compared with the “non-dominant language group”, and the minority group also believes that their language is not as good as the majority group’s (p. 24). The majority of research participants in this study said that the West Aceh dialect is considered to be poor, rough, etc., in terms of word choice and the use of pronouns.