VERBS AND VERBAL MORPHOLOGY OF BALANTAK LANGUAGE

Abstract

This research aims to describe the distribution of verb and verbal morphological elements of Balantak language in Banggai Regency, Central Sulawesi. Balantak as one of the local languages in this regency used by the people as a local language spread into 3 sub districts, such as North Balantak, Central Balantak, and South Balantak, but nowadays there are only under 3.000 speakers who speak this language actively from the total of the citizen is 354.402 and it is dying nowdays. Moreover, this local language is surrounded by other local languages, such as Manado, Bajo, Saluan and Andio, also Indonesian language as a national language. This research uses descriptive qualitative approach. Technique of data collection in this research is direct method. Researcher himself collects the data from the field of the research, which has 34 villages. The findings are very interesting, because this is the very first research on verb and verbal morphology of Balantak language, such as stative verbs, intransitive verbs, transitive verbs and modes.