Article Info Abstract Looking for the Official Identity of the Riau Regional Language Auzar
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PROCEEDINGs “The Contribution of Language, Literature, Art and Culture in Digital Era” 27-29 September 2019, Dompak, Province of Kepulauan Riau, Indonesia Looking for the Official Identity of the Riau Regional Language Auzar Indonesian Language and Literature Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Riau University, Pekanbaru 28293, Indonesia [email protected] Article Info Abstract Keywords: This study is motivated by the condition of Riau Province which does not yet have an official potential, language that represents or becomes the regional icon of Riau Province. So far, people outside Riau Province consider the official language of Riau to be the same as the Minangkabau identity, language. This study aims to describe the potential of regional languagesto become the official, official language of Riau Province. The study was carried out descriptively theoretically by regional taking into account the number of speakers, the area of the speaker, the level of closeness to the center of government, the level of frequency of speech in daily communication within the government environment, and the grammatical reliability of the languages of the area. The study involved all regional languagesof Riau Province. The results of the study indicate that the Malay languages of the coastal areas have more potential to become the official language of Riau Province. INTRODUCTION Almost all regions in the world have their own language that represents their respective regions. Even the regional languages represent the ethnic or ethnic characteristics of each, for example Malay and Minang languages. The language is a daily communication tool at various levels of society. In addition, the language is also used in various events, both official and informal, except in places that have been determined by the government so that the speakers do not use regional languages. Regional languages, in Sociolinguistics, are classified into regional dialectology. According to Mesthrie, et al. (2007), the term dialect is used to describe a regional dialect or group of people in a particular social group and not just to describe an area. Wardhaugh (2006) says that regional dialects are limited by the place of residence from one region to another. Wardhaugh’s statement shows that regional dialects are bounded by maps or geographical boundaries between one region and another. Furthermore, Wardhaugh states that regional dialects show a geographical relationship between the distribution of linguistic special characteristics and the lines drawn on the map. This line is called isogloss. In addition, Sumarsono (2010) said that the boundaries of differences coincide with natural boundaries, such as the sea, rivers, mountains, highways, and forests. However, linguistically, However, linguistically, geographical boundaries are not regional dialect boundaries because regional dialects can exceed these geographical boundaries. Therefore, isogloss is the most appropriate regional dialect boundary. Regional dialects appearing in this sociolingustic study are also intended to 40 PROCEEDINGs SEMIRATA 2019: International Seminar & Annual Meeting, Field of Language, Literature, Arts, and Culture BKS PTN Wilayah Barat examine language patterns or language usage that in a place and physically has a relationship in the differ between one region and another, or between interaction. The interaction is not only with fellow a community or speech community in one region residents, but also the environment so that cultural and another region. Speeches from speech areas are formed. A place without humans, can community members are the primary objects. not be a cultural area if it only has special physical Members of the speech community can be chosen characteristics, but there is no interaction with to represent the structure of the community in an the natural environment. When consciousness area, such as traditional or modern, small areas or interacts and shapes the environment to form urban areas so that variations in language can be on its own, it is called an authentic cultural area. seen. Meanwhile, if intentionally formed due to political factors or business needs, it is called synthetic or According to Wardaugh (2006), traditionally, artificial cultural areas, for example the Chicago dialect geography, such as the field of linguistic Land which is famous for its natural beauty, is studies, using historical linguistic assumptions made specifically for tourism with the aim of and methods, and the results are used to confirm promoting culture. findings from other sources, such as population study findings, written records, and archeology. With regard to the cultural realm, Zelinsky Based on this view, language distinguishes these (1992) divides the American cultural area into findings internally when the speaker distrusts two parts, namely “older set” which is the from one finding to another from time to time and traditional area and the “voluntary region” which space; change results in the creation of language is the voluntary region. Traditional territories dialects. In sufficient time, the resulting dialect are self-formed, stable, and for a long time so becomes a new language because the resulting that a newborn person automatically places him varieties of speakers are not able to understand on a certain caste, class, population, and social each other. Thus, Latin can be turned into French norms. Voluntary region or voluntary region in France, Spain in Spain, Italy in Italy, and so on. contemporaneous with the modernization process that took place in North West Europe, when a Traditionally, dialect geologists attempted person has no boundaries in the dimensions to reproduce their findings in the dialect atlas. of space or time and is free of intermediaries. They describe the geographical boundaries of the Traditional spaces and social allocations like a dissemination of certain linguistic features with lottery are gradually replaced by lifestyles, goals, stripes on the map. Such a line is called Isogloss. social niches, and self-selected housing. Voluntary The dialect boundary always coincides with a areas are formed spontaneously around important number of geographical or political factors, for areas, such as military offices or headquarters, example, mountain ridges, rivers, or old royal universities, or beaches. In this case, Zelinsky gave boundaries or dioceses. examples of cases of voluntary regions in military Language is the main communication tool urban areas such as San Diego, Colorado, Spring, of humans. In addition to communication tools, and Columbus. Fort Benning as a state which is language is also an expression of self or group a military territory dominates Columbus which so that it can be said that language represents a is a big city with a large banking and insurance particular self or group of people. Language has a industry. Business and marketing there tried to close relationship with the region or region. This attract Fort Benning’s army. Columbus was also region can exceed geographical boundaries, such used as a residence or resting place for soldiers as village, sub-district, district, provincial and who worked at Fort Benning. So, in the voluntary even national borders. According to Kretzschmar region, individuals who are free, can join and (2011), the area is divided into two parts, namely a participate in an area that they want. number of areas that are physically extraordinary Within a geographical area there are various and their nature and conditions that indicate self- regional dialects or popularly known as regional awareness in everyone who lives in a certain place. languages. In Riau Province there are several So, understanding the area here is not limited dialects, such as the Kampar, Kuantan and Singingi to an area that is limited by administrative and (Kuansing) dialects, Bengkalis, Siak, Pelalawan, geographical boundaries, but rather a space and Rokan, and Indragiri. Of these dialects, none of time that shows the population behaves or interacts them are languages that represent Riau Province. 41 “The Contribution of Language, Literature, Art and Culture in Digital Era” Thus, until now it has been difficult to determine According to Bell (1976), to distinguish certain the language identity of Riau Province. Outsiders languages from other languages, it is better to consider the language of Riau to be the same as use criteria (1) standardization, (2) vitality, the Minang language because of the lack of sound (3) historicity, (4) autonomy, (5) reduction, (6) in some of the people of Riau in Minang. The mixture, and norms (7) de facto. This criterion also languages are almost the same, including, Kampar makes it possible to assign multiple languages as a and Kuansing. The existence of regional languages more ‘ evolving ‘ language than any other language for a region or province is very important. so that it resolves the main issue of language- dialect differences. This is done because speakers Regional languages have a position as (1) usually feel that language is generally ‘better’ as a symbol of regional pride, (2) a symbol of than dialect in some ways. In fact, many speakers regional identity, and (3) an interface in the assume that their language is higher than other family and regional community. In addition, languages. regional languages have a strategic function. This is illustrated in the 1945 Constitution, article 32, Standardization refers to the codification paragraph (2) that “the State