SERIAL VERB CONSTRUCTIONS IN SASAK LANGUAGE OF MENO-MENE DIALECT: A TYPOLOGY AND LFG APPROACH

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the semantic types, the characteristics, and the constituent structure and functional structure of Sasak serial verb constructions. The theory of Typology and Lexical Functional Grammar (LFG) were used to analyze the data. The data in this research were taken from the uttarances of speakers of meno-mene dialect of Sasak. This study is designed as descriptive qualitative research. The data were collected through observation, interview, and reflective-introspective methods with recording and elicitation techniques. The results show that Sasak serial verb constructions have ten semantic types, which are motion, direction, instrument, comitative, manner, aspect and mood, benefactive, causative, cause-effect, and synonym. Based on the phonological, morphological and syntactical characteristics, Sasak serial verb constructions have the following characteristics: (1) They fall under one intonation contour, 2) They form mono-clause as a single predicate, 3) They have verb markers that occur only on one verb or each verb obtains the same marker, 4) They share aspect, mood, and negation, and 5) They share the same arguments. Sasak serial verb constructions are formed by the combinations of intransitive-intransitive, intransitive-transitive, transitive-intransitive, transitive-transitive, intransitive-intransitive-transitive, and intransitivetransitive-transitive verbs. The analysis of constituent structure and functional structure shows that Sasak serial verb constructions have V-V stucture, and X-COMP or X-ADJ structure. Serial verbs of Sasak language have X-COMP structure for motion, comitative, aspect and mood, benefactive, causative, and synonym serialization, while the form of XADJ structure is found in motion, direction, instrument, manner, aspect, benefactive, cause-effect, and synonym serialization.