Elements of Nature in the Figurative Language of the Kenyah Uma Badeng Community of Sungai Koyan: An Inquisitive Semantic Study
Abstract
Inquisitive semantics is an approach within semantics and pragmatics that enables the analysis and interpretation of the actual meaning of an utterance, thereby uncovering the worldview and intellectual reasoning of its speakers. This approach emphasises not only the literal meaning of an expression but also the implicit meanings rooted in the speaker’s cultural experiences, beliefs, and way of life. Although numerous inquisitive semantic studies have focused on figurative language in Malay society, such as proverbs and idioms, research on the figurative language of indigenous communities, particularly the Kenyah Uma Badeng, remains limited and underexplored. Therefore, this study aims to examine the implicit meanings embedded in proverbs containing natural elements among the Kenyah Uma Badeng community using the Inquisitive Semantics approach. This qualitative study is based on five data items obtained through interviews with native speakers and the analysis of proverbs that remain in everyday use. Preliminary findings indicate that each proverb conveys moral values such as honouring one’s origins, cooperation, social politeness, and emotional regulation. The inquisitive semantic analysis demonstrates that the true meanings of these proverbs can only be understood through the integration of literal meaning, cultural context, and speaker cognition. This study contributes significantly to the documentation of Kenyah oral heritage, which is increasingly at risk of erosion, and assists younger generations in understanding the wisdom and philosophical outlook of their ancestors. Overall, the study highlights the uniqueness of Kenyah figurative language as a reflection of cultural identity and values of the Uma Badeng community.
Keywords: Inquisitive semantics, figurative language, natural elements, Kenyah community, proverbs, common sense
Full text: PDF
References
2. Asmah Haji Omar. (2005). Budaya dan bahasa kiasan. Jurnal Peradaban Melayu, 3, 1–13. https://ejournal.upsi.edu.my/index.php/JPM/article/view/3371
3. Azmy Hj. Mohamed (2015). Landskap buluh. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
4. Balveen Kaur, & Fatimah Subet. (2019). Ironi dalam bahasa kiasan Punjabi: Analisis semantik inkuisitif. Trends in Undergraduate Research, 2(1), f1–7. https://doi.org/10.33736/tur.1593.2019
5. Borror, D. J. Triplehorn, C. A., & Johnson, N. F. (1996). Pengenalan pelajaran serangga edisi keenam. Dlm. Brotowidjoyo Mukayat Djarubito (Pnyt.) & Partosoedjono S, (Penterjemah), Terjemahan daripada: An introduction to the study of insects. Gadjah Mada University Press.
6. Cerdika. (2023). Maksud peribahasa ikut hati mati, ikut rasa binasa dan contohnya. https://cerdika.com/my/peribahasa/maksud-peribahasa-ikut-hati-mati-ikut-rasa-binasa-ikut-
7. Hawa Mahfuzah Rusidin, & Zulkifley Hamid. (2015). Akal budi Melayu dalam mantera: Analisis semantik kognitif. Jurnal Melayu, 14(2), 260–273. https://journalarticle.ukm.my/9459/1/11448-31075-1-SM.pdf
8. Hermandra, H. (2022). Motif itik pulang petang pada rumah adat tradisional Minangkabau (Rumah Gadang): Analisis semantik inkuisitif. Aksara, 34(2), 272–281. https://doi.org/10.29255/aksara.v34i2.827.272--281
9. Heywood, V. H. (1993). Flowering plants of the world. Oxford University Press.
10. Hua, A. K. (2016). Pengenalan rangka kerja metodologi dalam kajian penyelidikan: Satu kajian literatur. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 1(2), 17–24.
11. Kamus Dewan Edisi Keempat. (2005). Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
12. Kamus Pelajar Edisi Kedua. (2016). Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
13. Kinanti, K. P., & Rachman, A. K. (2019). Padi bagi masyarakat Indonesia: Kajian semantik inkuisitif pada peribahasa Indonesia. Basastra, 8(1), 29–43. https://doi.org/10.24114/bss.v8i1.12937
14. Kiting, R., Sintian, M., & Fabian, F. B. (2022). Kesantunan berbahasa dalam puisi tradisional etnik Dusun. Jurnal Abdimas, 26(1), 71–77. https://doi.org/10.15294/abdimas.v26i1.35857
15. Liamputtong, P. (2014). Kaedah Penyelidikan Kualitatif (3rd ed). Universiti Putra Malaysia Press.
16. Liwan Anak Numpang (2012). Journey towards progress society (1962–2002). Lee Ming Press.
17. Lumenta, D. (2011). Moving in a hierarchized landscape: changing border regimes in Central Kalimantan. Wacana Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia, 13(1), 121–145. https://doi.org/10.17510/wjhi.v13i1.12
18. Manangkot, H. J., & Kawatu, M. H. M. (2023). aneka ternak dan satwa harapan (Cacing & Mollusca). CV. Patra Media Grafindo.
19. Maulana al-Fin Che Man, & Nor Hashimah Jalaluddin, (2018). Unsur burung dalam pantun: Analisis semantik inkuisitif. Jurnal Wacana Sarjana, 2(1), 1–15.
20. Mohd Ridzuan Md Nasir, & Fatimah Subet. (2019). Analisis semantik inkuisitif peribahasa bahasa Melayu. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 16(2), 227–253. https://doi.org/10.32890/mjli2019.16.2.9
21. Moulds, M. S. (1990). The cicadas of Malaysia: Taxonomy and distribution. Department of Museums and Antiquities.
22. Muhammad Zaid Daud. (2018). Gallus gallus domesticus dan Paradoxurus hermaphroditus dalam peribahasa Melayu: Analisis semantik inkuisitif. Sains Humanika, 10(2), 41–51.
23. Muhammad Zaid Daud. (2019). Unggas dalam peribahasa Melayu: Satu analisis semantik inkuisitif. MALTESAS Multi-Disciplinary Research Journal (MIRJO), 3(1), 19–28.
24. Maxwell, A. R. (1990). Balui reconnaissances: The Badang Kenyah of Long Gang. The Sarawak Museum Journal, XLI(62), 21–114.
25. Nor Hashimah Jalaluddin. (2014). Semantik dan akal budi Melayu. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
26. Parameswaran, G. (2016). Languages and the Tamil terms. Scribd Publisher
27. Press, F., & Siever, R. (2001). Understanding earth (ed. ke-3).W. H. Freeman.
28. Purseglove, J. W. (1987). Tropical crops: Dicotyledons (Jil. 2). Longman Scientific & Technical.
29. Tangaprabhu Murthy, & Fatimah Subet. (2018). Imej tebu dalam peribahasa Tamil: Analisis semantik inkuisitif. Trends in Undergraduate Research, 1(1), f24–29. https://doi.org/10.33736/tur.1176.2018
30. Tangaprabhu Murthy, & Fatimah Subet. (2020). Gajah (யானை) dalam peribahasa Tamil: Analisis semantik inkuisitif. Asian People Journal (APJ), 3(2), 134–146. https://doi.org/10.37231/apj.2020.3.2.190
31. Tangaprabhu Murthy, Fatimah Subet, & Muhammad Zaid Daud. (2019). Peribahasa Tamil berimej lada hitam sebagai tradisi lisan: Analisis semantik inkuisitif. The International Journal of Creative Futures and Heritage (IJCFH), 7(2), 70–88. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/4gaj6
32. Tarbuck, E. J., & Lutgens, F. K. (2017). Earth: An introduction to physical geology (ed. ke-12). Pearson.
33. Russel Dundang Jeffrey, & Fatimah Subet. (2018). Unsur alam dalam peribahasa Iban (Jaku’Sempama): Satu analisis semantik inkiusitif. Trends in Undergraduate Research, 1(1), f10–15. https://doi.org/10.33736/tur.1169.2018
34. Valerie Mashman. (2021). A shield for the rajah–a gift from the Kenyah Badeng of Borneo in Rome. Journal of Borneo-Kalimantan, 7(1), 1–19.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Upon acceptance of an article, Authors will be asked to transfer copyright. This transfer will ensure the widest possible dissemination of information. A notification will be sent to the corresponding Author confirming receipt of the manuscript. If excerpts from other copyrighted works are included, the Author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) in the article.
