LOSS OF WORDS IN MANDAILINGNESE

Abstract

The present study investigates old words which have become archaic or obsolete in Mandailingnese. The purpose of the study is to find out how a number of words have disappeared (no longer used in daily communication) due to the loss of the referents to which the words refer.Some are replaced by synonyms and some others are replaced by loanwords. The data are collected from field source, by collecting the data from some informants and from printed sources: texts about Mandailingnese traditions like weddings, folklores, proverbs, verses etc. The eighty archaic words are then grouped into three groups: words which are no longer used whose referents do not exist any more, words which are no longer used but they are replaced by synonyms and words which are no longer used but they are replaced by loanwords. The result of the study shows that in the course of relatively long time the vocabulary of Mandailingnese has undergone changes. The fact suggests that the speakers of the language should make at least one effort that is to record all the archaic words in order to maintain the vocabulary of the language so that the future speakers of the language will know that such obsolete words were once used in their language..