Verbal Group in Indonesian 1

Transcription

1 Verbal Group in Indonesian 1 Susanto EFL University-Hyderabad and Fakultas Sastra, UISU-Medan susantonanda@gmail.com Abstract The paper aims to present an observation on the structure of verbal group in Indonesian in terms of its experiential and logical structures. It is observed that in the language there is no fuse for Finite and Event. Event itself may not be accompanied by Finite so that tense is possible not to be mapped on the verbal group at all. Hence, the logical structure of the verbal group may not realize the system of tense which is not recursive in the language. Further, it is shown that the expression of polarity is not necessarily tied to that of finiteness but the expression of voice is only possibly attached to that of eventness. It is hoped that the description of verbal group in the language contribute more insights to other systemic functional aspects in the language. Keywords: Indonesian, Verbal group, Finite, Event, Tense, Polarity, Voice, Experiential, Logical, Systemic Functional Linguistics. 1 Introduction Halliday (1994: 179) points out that there is realization of three functional components of meaning, i.e. ideational, interpersonal and textual, through out the grammar of a language. Considering the grammar of word groups, which are ranked below clause in a language, it has been noticed that the pattern construing those elements in group level is somewhat different from that in clause level. However, a word group not only still serves a function in a clause but also possibly makes its own semantic meaning through discourse. In this paper, there is an observation on the verbal group of Indonesian in terms of its experiential and logical structures which is hoped to provide insights to other systemic functional aspects in the language. 2 Verbal group in English Verbal group is defined as the expansion of a verb. In English, it comprises constituents functioning, in the mood structure, as either Finite plus Predicator or only Predicator if there is no Finite element and, in the transitivity structure, as Process (Halliday, 1994). The experiential structure of the finite verbal group is Finite plus Event. In the group, Auxiliary is optional for the structure. Finite provides the orientation of the group and Event represents the core of the lexical meaning. Fusing Finite and Event is very much available as in 1 and having more than one auxiliary in the group is possible as in drank Finite Event 2. could have been drinking Finite Auxiliary 1 Auxiliary 2 Event 1 Indonesian, an Austronesian language, is the official and national language of the Republic of Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Please cite this article as: Susanto. (2009). Verbal Group in Indonesian. In Fang Yan and Wu Canzhong (Eds.) Challenges to Systemic Functional Linguistics: Theory and Practice. Proceedings of the 36th International Systemic 1 Functional Congress (pp ). Tsinghua University, Beijing: the 36th ISFC Organizing Committee. [ISBN: ] 1

2 Halliday (1994: 197) argues that this structure recapitulates, in the fixed ordering of their elements, the meaning that is incorporated as choice in the message structure of the clause. The logical structure of the English verbal group consisting of complex elements, as pointed out by Halliday (1994), realizes the tense system which is recursive in which the primary tense (α) could be followed by the secondary tenses (β and γ) as in 3 (where the notation of -, 0 and + is used for past, present and future respectively). The expression of polarity (pos./neg.) is tied to that of finiteness and the expression of voice (act./pass.) is an extension of that of tense. The active does not have explicit marker but the passive does as shown in (δ) in (3). 3. has been going to be drunk V-s have + V-en be going to + V(inf) be + V-en α 0 β - γ + δ present (pos.) Past future (pass.) future in past in present passive 3 Verbal group in Indonesian In Indonesian verbal group, there is a main verb, which is possibly very much attached by affixation, as the nucleus to which other verbal elements of meaning are added. 2 In the group consisting of a main verb and other verbal elements as in clauses (5), (6) and (7), the main verb takes the final position. However, the main verb itself can be the only element in the group as in (4) Murid itu menjawab pertanyaan gurunya. Student DET. answer question teacher-he POSS. The student answers/answered his teacher s question 5. Murid itu akan menjawab pertanyaan gurunya Student DET. will answer question teacher-he POSS. The student will answer his teacher s question 6. Murid itu bisa menjawab pertanyaan gurunya. Student DET. can answer question teacher-he POSS. The student can/could answer his teacher s question 7. Murid itu akan bisa menjawab pertanyaan gurunya. Student DET. will can answer question teacher-he POSS. The student will be able to answer his teacher s question In the mood structure, Indonesian verbal group functions as Predicator if there is no Finite element as in (4), i.e. menjawab answer, as Finite plus Predicator as in (5), i.e. akan 2 The language utilizes a complex system of affixes (i.e. prefix, infix, suffix and confix) which brings some consequences in transitivity system. Further, the affixation may contribute the choice in word class system. 3 All verbal groups are underlined to make the identification clear in the clause. The main verb in clauses (4), (5), (6) and (7) is menjawab in which there is prefix men plus jawab. 2

3 menjawab will answer and as Finite if Predicator is realized by another word class other than verb as in (8) Anak itu tidak akan sakit. Child DET not will sick The child will not be sick In converting (8) further into interrogative mood: yes/no, there are two ways in placing akan will, sakit sick and particle kah as shown below. 9. a. Akankah anak itu sakit? will child DET. sick. Will the child be sick? b. Akan sakitkah anak itu? will sick child DET. Will the child be sick? Verbal group in the language is not compulsory in validating the mood structure since it can be absent in a clause. Predicator, then, is taken into consideration in the structure. For further discussion on the validity of the Predicator in characterizing Mood, see Delu (2009). 3.1 Experiential and logical structure of the verbal group Verbal groups in Indonesian are proposed to choose between finite and non-finite. Finite in the group signifies the tense like akan will for future tense or the modality like bisa can. The possible experiential structure of the group is Finite plus Event as in (5), Finite: temporal plus Finite: modal plus Event as in (7) and only Finite as in (8). The experiential structure is given below in (10), (11) and (12) respectively. 10. akan menjawab Finite:temporal Event 11. akan bisa menjawab Finite:temporal Finite:modal Event 12. tidak akan Finite:temporal:negative When there is no Finite element signifying the tense, the tense reading in the clause, as the consequence, can be ambiguous unless there is temporal circumstance expression as in (4) and (6). The tense, alternatively, can be realized by the circumstance sekarang now as shown in (13) and kemarin yesterday as in (14). 4 The predicator is realized by an adjective sakit sick. Therefore, it does not belong to the verbal group. Another possible lexical word realizing Predicator is a noun as in: Saya seorang guru. I a teacher. I am a teacher In the clause, seorang guru a teacher functions as Predicator. And there is no verbal group at all. 3

4 13. Murid itu menjawab pertanyaan gurunya sekarang. Student DET. answer question teacher-he POSS. now The student answers his teacher s question now 14. Murid itu menjawab pertanyaan gurunya kemarin. Student DET. answer question teacher-he POSS. yesterday The student answered his teacher s question yesterday The experiential structure of the verbal group in the clauses above is simply given below. 15. menjawab Event It can be seen that Finite signifying the tense in the verbal group is absent and there is no fuse for Finite and Event. The tense in the clauses, then, only refers to temporal circumstance sekarang now for Present and kemarin yesterday for Past. In clauses (16) and (17) below, there is also no Finite element in the verbal group that signifies the tense. The experiential structure of the verbal group in the clauses is given in (18). 16. Murid itu bisa menjawab pertanyaan gurunya sekarang. Student DET. can answer question teacher-he POSS. now The student can answer his teacher s question now 17. Murid itu bisa menjawab pertanyaan gurunya kemarin. Student DET. can answer question teacher-he POSS. yesterday The student could answer his teacher s question yesterday 18. bisa menjawab Finite:modal Event Moreover, the Finite carrying either tense or modality can be the only element in the verbal group as in (19) and (20) and the experiential structures are given in (21) and (22) respectively Anak itu akan kesana sendirian. boy DET will there alone The boy will go there alone 20. Anak itu bisa kesana sendirian. boy DET can there alone 5 There is another possibility for realizing the verbal group in which pergi go is included as Event. Anak itu akan pergi kesana sendirian. Boy DET will go there alone The boy will go there alone Anak itu bisa pergi kesana sendirian. Boy DET can go there alone The boy can go there alone 4

5 The boy can go there alone 21. akan Finite:temporal 22. bisa Finite:modal It is observed that the tense is possible not to be mapped on the verbal group at all and there is no fuse for Finite and Event. The logical structure of the group, then, may not realize the system of tense which is not recursive in the language. Logically, Finite carrying tense precedes one carrying modality. The Event can be present at the right edge in the group. However, either Finite or Event can be the only element in the group. (23) recapitulates the structure. 23. akan bisa menjawab Finite:temporal Finite:modal Event α + future bisa menjawab Finite:modal Event no tense mapped akan menjawab Finite:temporal Event α + future menjawab Event no tense akan Finite:temporal α + future bisa Finite:modal no tense Furthermore, the semantic feature of polarity can be present in the verbal group. When the polarity is positive, it does not appear as a separate element but when it is negative, tidak, tak or bukan meaning not is used. However, the polarity may not be part of the Finite element because the expression of polarity is not necessary tied to that of finiteness and when there is no Finite in the verbal group, it is not obliged to introduce Finite to attach the negation to. Observe the position of tidak not in the following. 5

6 24. Murid itu tidak bisa menjawab pertanyaan gurunya sekarang. Student DET. not can answer question teacher-he POSS. now The student cannot answers his teacher s question now 25. Murid itu tidak akan menjawab pertanyaan gurunya. Student DET. not will answer question teacher-he POSS. The student will not answer his teacher s question 26. Murid itu akan tidak menjawab pertanyaan gurunya. Student DET. will not answer question teacher-he POSS. The student will not answer his teacher s question 27. Murid itu tidak menjawab pertanyaan gurunya sekarang. Student DET. not answer question teacher-he POSS. now The student does not answer his teacher s question now Further, the expression of voice is attached to that of eventnes. When the voice is active, men- or ber- morpheme appears as a prefix as in (28). When it is passive, di- or termorpheme is used as in (29). The expression of voice is not an extension of that of tense. 28. Lelaki itu akan menolong wanita tua itu. man DET. will men- help woman old DET The man will help the old woman 29. Wanita tua itu akan ditolong lelaki itu. Woman old DET. will di- help man DET The old woman will be helped by the man 4 Conclusion Indonesian verbal group is structured experientially and logically. By definition, the group takes a verb as the nucleus. The group can function as Finite plus Predicator, as only Predicator if there is no Finite element in the group, and as only Finite if Predicator is realized by another word class other than verb. The Finite in the group can signify the tense or the modality. The experiential structure of the group is Finite plus Event, Finite: temporal plus Finite: modal plus Event, and only Finite or only Event. It is found out that there is no fuse for Finite and Event. And in the group, Event itself may not be accompanied by Finite so that tense is possible not to be mapped on the verbal group but realized in temporal circumstance. The logical structure of the verbal group, thus, may not realize the system of tense which is not recursive in the language. Moreover, it is noticed that the expression of polarity may not be tied to that of finiteness since it is not compulsory to be part of the Finite element. Further, the expression of voice marked in the form of morpheme is realized by the attachment of the marker to the expression of eventness. Finally, the discussion explored above, in fact, does not cover all things present in verbal group of the language. However, the selective description of verbal group in the language hopefully contributes more insights to other systemic functional aspects. 6

7 References Butt, David, Rhondda Fahey, Sue Spinks & Colin Yallop. (1995). Using Functional Grammar: An explorer s guide. Sydney: Macquarie University, NCELTR (National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research) Delu, Zhang. (2009). Some Characteristics of Chinese Mood System. In Current Issues in Systemic Functional Linguistics. Papers from the 8 th Chinese Systemics Week. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press Halliday, M. A. K. (1975). Learning How to Mean. London: Arnold. Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Arnold. Halliday, M. A. K., and Matthiessen, C.M.I.M. (1999) Construing Experience through Meaning: A language based approach to meaning. London: Cassell. Halliday, M. A. K., and Matthiessen, C.M.I.M. (2004). An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Arnold. Matthiessen, C.M.I.M. (1995). Lexicogrammatical Cartography: English systems. Tokyo: International Language Science Publishers. 7