Interjeksi Aduh Dalam Bahasa Indonesia dan Bahasa Nias

Abstract

This article delineates the semantic typology and interpretative nuances of the Indonesian interjection aduh alongside its functional equivalents in Nias. The inquiry addresses two gaps: the paucity of systematic investigations into aduh using Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) and the absence of a comprehensive account of its Nias counterparts (aökö, e bale, edah). Data were elicited through participatory observation and semantic-ethnographic interviews with L1 speakers of Indonesian in Medan and native speakers of the Gunungsitoli Nias dialect. Qualitative analysis employed semantic explication. Findings reveal that Indonesian aduh exhibits a polysemous structure encompassing emotive, volitive, and cognitive types. In contrast, Nias has no single equivalent: aökö functions as emotive (sudden physical pain) and volitive (request/reprimand); e bale functions as emotive (empathy with explicit hope); while edah functions across types as emotive (annoyance), volitive (reprimand with explicit consequences), and cognitive (evaluation of new information). The semantic differentiation of interjections serves as a linguistic reflex of divergent cultural scenarios.