UNAIR NEWS – Prof. Dr. Dra Ni Wayan Sartini MHum conducted research on Balinese agricultural rituals to preserve local language. The result was presented on the professor inauguration, held on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at the Garuda Mukti Hall, MERR-C Campus UNAIR. She officially gained the title of Professor in Ethnolinguistics of the Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Airlangga.
“Language is like a patient. It can be critical as well. Over time, it can die. Language is like an organism, born and evolving. If a language is no longer used, it will die,” she said.
Local wisdom in the lexicon of agricultural ritual
Prof. Wayan stated that one of the efforts to preserve the local language for the Balinese community is through agricultural rituals, considering those are closely related. Balinese agricultural rituals contribute to environmental preservation and the preservation of the Balinese language.
The lexicons in the stages of Balinese community’s agricultural rituals carry symbolic meanings and cultural local wisdom. These lexicons reflect the attitudes, ethics, worldviews, and philosophy of the Balinese people. Therefore, identifying these agricultural ritual lexicons can be a good way to document and understand the agricultural culture of the community.
“Language and culture are two related aspects. The agricultural rituals of the Balinese community, conducted in the Balinese language, are not just a series of ceremonies. They also embody the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, which represents three relationships: humans with God, humans with each other, and humans with nature,” said the Indonesian Language and Literature lecturer.
Strengthening the vocabulary treasury of the Indonesian language
Further, the Ethnolinguistics lecturer believed that preserving terms in Balinese agricultural rituals can also enhance the vocabulary of the Indonesian language. These lexicons can provide valuable contributions to the Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language (KBBI) for several reasons.
First, the lexicons of agricultural rituals contain local terms that are rarely used in daily language. Second, the words in the agricultural ritual lexicon often carry profound meanings associated with traditions, rituals, and beliefs. Third, the increased use of technical terms is evident, as agricultural rituals frequently involve unique technical terms related to traditional farming practices.
In the end, Prof. Wayan concluded that preserving the Balinese language through agricultural rituals requires collaborative from the local communities, government, education institutions, and the media. She believed that the collaborative effort would preserve the local languages from one generation to another, using agricultural practices with abundant values.
“Being global doesn’t mean losing local values. Let’s foster tradition, let’s build our country with traditions, just like the Faculty of Humanities’ tagline ‘Building the Nation Based on Tradition’,” she said.
Author: Rafli Noer Khairam
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
