LANGUAGE INFERIORITY OF NON-MAINSTREAM VERNACULAR: A CASE OF NGAPAK AND BANDHEK DIALECTS

Abstract

In light of inseparable relationship between language and its speakers, the survival of a particular language is to a great extent affected by how the speakers of the language manage their self-identity and their social status with respect to their pride to use their own language. The use of language is closely related to the speakers’ sense of identity or self-concept: self as an individual (individual identity) and self as a group member (group or collective identity). As language is used in relationship with others, the language speakers are involved in a dual function of language: the transfer of information and the management of social relations. In both functions, recognized mainstream dialects or standard languages are inclined to have the influential domination to control communication strategies manipulated by the speakers of nonstandard dialects. With regard to the attitudes of the speakers of a standard language toward the typical features of a non-standard dialect, the speakers of a non-standard dialect frequently encounter divergent preferences, either maintaining their individual and collective identity, or accommodating themselves to the linguistic features of the standard language. The paper is intended to put forward a discussion of the decline of the use of Ngapak dialect among its own speakers or among Javanese speakers in urban areas. The result of continuing participatory observations demonstrates that the attitudes of the speakers of Bandhek dialect (the term coined by Ngapak speakers to refer to Yogya-Solo dialect) toward the typical features of Ngapak dialect have brought about language inferiority occurred in Ngapak as a non-mainstream vernacular. In managing social relations with Bandhek speakers, Ngapak speakers are coincidentally put themseleves in a subordinate position as their attempts to improve their self-image. Accordingly, bahasa Indonesia and Bandhek dialect are favored by these speakers. The values of kasar-alus available in Bandhek but not applicable in Ngapak have also encouraged Ngapak speakers to conceal their identity represented by their dialect. As a matter of fact, Ngapak holds some typical indigenous values need to uncover.