Euphemism Study on Language Deviation Used by Young People in Waibalun Village of East Flores Regency

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Language is a medium of communication that allows people to share things one to another as well as to express their communicative needs (Wardhaugh, 1997:07). As a social creature, human needs a tool called language to communicate to others. In communication, participants are given chance to share information and belief, exchange ideas and feelings, make plans and solve problems.
Every language can create new words to describe new situation and objects. Therefore, it is not surprising that all language can change through time. However they change at different rates, at different times in response to new social, cultural, and environmental situations. The number of terms related to particular topic also may be greater or smaller depending on such social factors. The cultural environment that people grow up in can also have surprising effects on how they interpret the world around them. Language can be used according to the situation and the context where the communication takes place. In formal situation, people must use standard language, written or oral. On the contrary, people use informal language to communicate in an informal situation. It can be said that the use of language as a medium of interaction deals with who speaks, what language, to whom, when and to what end (Fishman in Chaer, 2004:15).
Each language contains two systems, a system of sounds and a system of meanings. In relation to human development, however, most human languages in use now, have sounds, meaning and form. Sounds o a language are utterances produces by language speakers, meaning relates to what language expresses about the world we live in or any possible or imaginary world. Meaning in terms of semiotics perspectives usually deals with icon, index and symbol. Icon is a sign in which a perceptible likeness in its form is and what its meaning describes. Index is a sign whose meaning is interpreted from the context in which it is uttered. While symbol, is a sign in which the relationship between its form and meaning is strictly conventional, neither due to physical similarity or contextual constrains (Pierce in Foley 1997:25-26). Form refers to the means by which an element of language is expressed in speech or writing. The crucial effect of the conventionality of relationship between form and meaning in symbol is that, it frees the domain of the symbols meaning from constrains of the immediate context. A word which is a symbol has a sense, a meaning which can be stated via paraphrase and holds across context of usage (Foley 1997: 27).
One of the linguistic phenomena that is now striving in Bahasa Indonesia is language deviation. Language deviation is language game by deviating through ”plesetan” or deviation. It is a language game by deviating word or sentence or phrase in a new way that may be brought in to a new meaning so the meaning becomes richer than before. This process is known as word deviation process and the result is called deviation words or language. Language deviation helps the speaker to speak politely although the meaning is not polite. This is called euphemism and this is happens because of the situation needs. Euphemism is also used by people to make a joke also to make language to appreciate one another even to say impolite word(s) or sentence(s). This phenomenon is also found in Lamaholot Language.
Lamaholot can be defined as a local language spoken in the east most of Flores island including Lembata island. According to Goris Keraf, (?) Lamaholot language can be classified into thirty five dialects, they are Lamelera, Mulan, Ile Ape, Belang, Lewotala, Imulolo, Lewuka, Kalikasa, Lewokukun, Mingar, Wuakerong, Lewopenutu, Lamahora, Merdeka, Lewoeleng, Lamatuka, Atawolo, Kedang, Kiwangona, Dulhi, Watan, Horowura, Botun, Waiwadan, Lamakera, Ritaebang, Lewolema, Baipito, Waibalun, Bama, Lewolaga, Tanjung, Lewotobi, Pukaunu, and Hewa. Waibalun(Ile Mandiri) dialect is used by people in Waibalun village. Waibalun is located about five kilometers from Larantuka city, which is situated at western area of Larantuka sub district of East Flores Regency.
Looking at the phenomena of language deviation that is known striving in Lamaholot language especially in Waibalun dialect, leads the writer to conduct a research under the title: “AN EUPHEMISM STUDY ON LANGUAGE DEVIATION USED BY YOUNG PEOPLE IN WAIBALUN VILLAGE OF EAST FLORES REGENCY”.