Lexicons of Flora and Fauna in Upah-Upah Ceremony at Mandailing Tribe Wedding in Matondang Village Padang Lawas Regency: An Ecolinguistic Perspective

Abstract

The study of ecolinguistics has involved the relationship between human and human, between the human and the surrounding nature, and the relationships in which many languages ​​arise. The use of the flora and fauna lexicon by the people in Matondang village showed the closeness of natural relationships, the relationship between speakers and their relationship with the natural environment and social environment could be seen using the dialogue method (Bang & Doors, 1993) by analyzing the standard form of the meaning and function of using the flora and fauna lexicons in Upah-Upah ritual of a traditional wedding. Based on the phenomenological point of view, this study used two approaches: a qualitative approach and a quantitative approach. The data collection method of this study consisted of an interview method and an observation method. The interview method was used to obtain data on the meaning and function of flora and fauna in the culture of the Mandailing people. Observation methods were used to obtain data on the appearance of plants and animals in the culture of the Mandiling people. Giving advice occurred in the ritual of wages which referred to a situation. The analysis revealed that many of the flora and fauna in Mandailing culture still had the potentials to be further explored. Meanwhile, the dynamics of the natural environment lexicon were shown by differences in the level of understanding and the use between generations, the tendency, and endurance of these lexicons, which were represented by lexicon that survived, declined, experienced extinction, and shifted lexicon which includes lexicon with replaced names, and other languages ​with functioned to replace by other entities.