TRADITIONAL SONGS OF THE TOBELO ETHNIC GROUP IN INDONESIA AS A CULTURAL LEXICON SYSTEM: AN ETHNOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstrak

Traditional Tobelo songs serve not only as an expression of oral literature, but also as a means of passing on cultural values that are codified in the language system. This study aims to analyze traditional songs as a lexical system that contains cultural values. This study focuses on three traditional songs, namely lelehe, denge, and salumbe. These songs are important representations of the relationship between language, culture, and social structure. A qualitative method with an ethnolinguistic approach was used in this study. Data was obtained directly from oral accounts by the song performers. The data were analyzed through the stages of identifying key lexicon and grouping lexicon based on function and meaning. This study shows that traditional songs form a lexical system, such as unity and collectivity, advice and social ethics, solidarity in communal relationships, courage, responsibility, and protection of interpersonal relationships. The song lelehe emphasizes the lexicon of invitation and togetherness as the basis of social harmony; denge as a space for deliberation, advice, openness, and togetherness; and salumbe contains the lexicon of travel, symbols of masculinity, and protection of relationship dynamics and cultural identity. This study emphasizes that traditional songs are not only understood as works of oral literature, but also as a culture-based language knowledge system. This study provides a theoretical contribution to ethnolinguistic studies, namely understanding lexicon as a cultural value system, as well as an empirical contribution in efforts to document and preserve the oral literature of the Tobelo tribe.