Abstract
This paper defines the importance of language study in finding a relationship between the local dialects of the people of Tukang Besi Islands in Southeast Sulawesi with other regions in the archipelago particularly, and in the Southeast Asian region generally. Specifically, the language expressed in the paper refers to the language traditionally has lasted for so long. It is the local language which is spoken hereditary and growing on local culture.
Language that grows on local culture will last in its speakers’ mind, usually associated with traditional medication and food. In the Tukang Besi Islands society, there is a language which, according to the author, is formed by the contact between the two. As an illustration, the people of Tukang Besi Islands know banjar wood, Malacca fruit, Javanese wood, and many others.. Banjar wood’s leaves are used as raw materials for medicine, malacca fruit can be consumed, Javanese wood (cassava) are plants that serve as the main food of the Tukang Besi Islands society. This indicates that the local dialect and society (Tukang Besi islands) had ever done a communication process between the two. Furthermore it shows that the tradition of maritime-based societies enriches the local dialect and knowledge through intensive relationship with the regions that are relatively beneficial both economically and culturally.
A. Introduction.
There are two reasons why I wrote this topic.3 First, this topic is actually very close to the history of Tukang Besi Islands (TBI) society which is far from the center of the languages used in general such as the language of Malays, Javanese, Bugis Makassar, Wolio (South East Sulawesi), and etc.
The second reason, this topic is relatively new for the science of language and history since all this time, the study of the relationship between local dialect and the language elements absorbed in the process of its formation becomes the standard language used in a particular society, is only applied in the main languages used in Indonesian society. As a result, local dialects of minor islands are overlooked. Reality shows that local dialects used in small islands vary in the process of formation of language absorbed. In this context, the language of TBI society is understood in the process of formation and absorption of the elements of language absorbed and then used as a mother tongue.
The interaction between the people of TBI and other regions or countries becomes essential to present in order to prove that the local dialect was formed from the interaction and communication with people outside their community. It intensively takes part in accelerating the process of local dialect or other countries language to be used as the local dialect of the people of TBI. The elements absorbed are usually associated with food that does not exist in their origin, type of vegetation that serves as a medicine, and equipment that has certain functions that are culturally accepted by the society of TBI.
B. History, Ecology, and Geographic Condition of Tukang Besi Islands.
There are two general explanations which deliver our understanding of the term Tukang Besi Islands, the first; associated with the majority of profession/ job of the people of TBI. Second, it is associated with the fact that the region was used as an area for making weapons for Gowa Kingdom in XVII century.4 If connected to the profession of the people, this excuse is acceptable, because in the later development, the people produced iron-based goods such as machete, knives, and guns which its high quality was well known by the surrounding societies. The goods were traded to the Moluccas, Kalimantan, and South Sulawesi even to Java.5 During the reign of the kingdom/empire of Buton, the TBI region was also a hinterland area and served as one Barata, especially for the island of Kaledupa. Tukang Besi Islands was once a region dominated by the kingdom of Ternate, particularly the Binongko and Tomia Islands.6
Tukang Besi Islands consists of 4 main islands, the island of Wantji (Wanci), Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko.7 historically, this area was often contested by the major kingdoms in South Sulawesi (Gowa) and Ternate.8 Information concerning this area is that TBI was also known as the Wakatobi. This area is now a separate district or out of Buton. The history of the formation of the term of Wakatobi began when some parts of people in the Tukang Besi Islands were educated in the down town of Buton (Bau-Bau) in 1900. According to the research conducted by the author in 1997, the name is taken from the result of the meeting of the youth who came from the islands region. Wakatobi means a term coined and originated from the first syllables of four main islands in the TBI, those are wa =-wangi-wangi, ka = Kaledupa, to = Tomia, and bi = Binongko. 9
The ecological condition of Tukang Besi Islands is infertile. The topography consists of living coral or it is more appropriate to say that it is more rock than land, so it is not suitable for agriculture and plantation crops that can support the continuation of food for the society which is growing more and more. This condition becomes an important factor of how people of Tukang Besi Islands figure out how to get out of the area looking for a new economic resource. This process is then impacted on the interaction with other social groups which lead to intensive absorption of the languages from other areas to be used as the language of Tukang Besi Islands. This is delivered in another part of this paper.
Tukang Besi Islands region is geographically located on trade routes to and from the Moluccas as a center of spice producers of the world. Generally, the people in the area located in this path are easy to accept change. The consequence of that condition is the change in orientation into trade or following the economic development that occurs. In this regard, the history of the society of Tukang Besi Islands shows that for centuries people in the islands involved in the trade and became part of the international ocean explorer as the Malacca Strait Singapore, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia and important areas in Indonesia , especially with economic commodity and food and adequate clothing.
Map of Sulawesi, Tukang Besi Islands
Source: http://epress.anu.edu.au/apem/boats/mobile_devices/
In the reign of the Dutch East Indies, some boats in the TBI area were hired to transport the Buton asphalt production to Java and some other areas in Indonesia During the Japanese occupation, sailboat and its crews were used as the carrier of Japanese troops to various islands in Southeast Sulawesi. In the revolutionary period (1945-1949), the boats were often used as a mean to transport and mobilize the army and the illegal trade activities.10
After the security condition in the Tukang Besi Islands began to improve in the 1960s and contrasting conditions faced immediately because of the economic crisis and limited food. The society responded to the conditions by doing economic activity which was undertaken by Tukang Besi Islands society that was oriented to commercial activity. Trading activities carried out to areas that are economically beneficial, especially to the islands of Maluku, including Banda, Seram, Buru, Taliabu, Ternate, and several other areas in Maluku Islands. The people of Tukang Besi Islands also migrated through the area that is economically profitable. The service sector became the main goal such as the Moluccas which has clove plantations. They usually worked as plantation workers and came into the informal sector in the city of Ambon. Apart from that activity, the people of TBI were also working by planting cassava and gathering sagu as a food sent to their family in Tukang Besi Islands.11
C. Enriching the Language through Sailing and Commerce.
The language used in a society was initially a symbol language and sign language and also spoken language. Symbol and sign language were only understood by its speakers and experts or others who were concerned to learn about the language.
The process of enriching the local dialect conducted through communication (contacts) with the people from other regions by doing interactions between them. Interaction occurs when there are two different interests between the two parties and both are able to meet their needs Usually both parties need each other. In the process, the languages absorbed quickly by the local dialect were always associated to daily living needs, such as foods, medications, and household. Words associated with types of plants and animals were also often absorbed by the local dialect because of differences in ecosystems and the two regions need.
Historical records show that the people of TBI sailed and traded to areas that are economically beneficial.12 the people of TBI also had adequate transportation facilities to support their trade and shipping activities to areas that have a commodity to be traded. The regions that became the main destination of the TBI society were Banjarmasin, Moluccas, Banda, Buru, Ternate, Kei Islands (Moluccas), Makassar, Rote (NTT), Java (Surabaya), Riau, Singapore, and Malaysia (Malays). Maluku and Rote (NTT) were related to food and commodities which was the raw materials for industry in Java (Surabaya). Surabaya was the main market that provided a lot of household appliances, clothing and food to sell in other islands.
Contact with the Malays was related to the broader market for particular commodities such as shark fins, lola, pearls, contraband, and tertiary items which were not available in Java in cheaper prices. The goods in Singapore and Malaysia market were secondary items in form of electronic goods, bicycles, motorcycles, used clothing, and garlic, as well as the illegal workers in the later periods. In the 1970s, the people of Tukang Besi Islands bought ship's engines to be installed to their boats. The aim was that their cruise schedule and their trade were not dependent on wind direction alone. Thus their mobility and intensity of communication through trade could be more effective. This became the starting point where the communication conducted more intensively so that the absorption of other regional languages could be included in language of TBI society’s language.
One important thing is that the language in TBI was quite different from Wolio language which should be the mother language under the reign of the Sultanate of Buton. A not intensive communicative and the difficulty in controlling islands which were separated from the center of authority might cause language variation in the region. The people of TBI generally used Cia-cia dialect; however there were many vocabularies which were different from Cia-cia language generally prevailing in the four main islands of TBI region. As an illustration, below I give an example of research conducted by S. Kaseng et al.
Below is some vocabulary of Tukang Besi Islands society’s language, originating from areas they had visited or stop off at the sailing route and the trade that took place in their history. Identification based on vocabulary related the fruit, animal, medication, and food.
Word TBI Language Indonesian Description
Singkong/ Ubi kayu (Kayu Jawa): Literal translation = tree from Java. Related to the main food in the TBI. The word is adapted from Javanese.
Kayu Banjar (Banjar Wood): Used as a medication for phlegm Banjarmasin (Kalimantan). The word is the result of interaction with the people of Banjarmasin (Kalimantan).
Kadola=Ayam/ Chicken: Originating in a village in papalia Binongko.13
Buah Malaka/Jambu Biji (Guava): Taken from the interaction with the Malays of Johor. These fruits are most commonly found in Southeast Asia.
kamba java/Bunga kamboja/ Frangipani flower: Used to sprinkle the corpse when buried.
sambe bugisi/ Sarung sutra bugis/ Bugis silk sarong: As a results of relationship with Makassar.
kae samarenda/Sarung Samarinda/ Samarinda Sarong: The name of a favorite sarong which has high value that comes from Samarinda.
kae donggala/Kain Donggala/ Donggala Fabric: Cloth from Central Sulawesi Donggala
Source: result of the research and interview with informan
The word tertawa (Indonesia), English (laugh), Wolio (apotawa), Moronene (metota), Muna (Futa), Wakatobi (koni).14 This word should be generally applied in all areas of Buton sultanate, but the reality is much different. It is difficult to see any connection between the words in the regions. Another example is the word hidup (Indonesia), English (alive), Wolio (dadi), Moronene (tora), Mawasangka (uhi), Wakatobi (ido). Kata Minum (Indonesia), Inggris (drink), Wolio (simpu), Moronene (mondou), dan, Wakatobi (morou').15 The word minum (Indonesia), English (to drink), Wolio (simpu), Moronene (mondou), and, Wakatobi (morou').16 Such words are often found in the vocabulary of the languages of the region of Southeast Sulawesi, especially Buton in which the area blocked by the topographical conditions that makes it difficult to reach. Moreover, it has the vast seas with extreme waves due to the influence of the Banda Sea and Indian Ocean. Transportation by sea was the only way to interact with other regions that could meet the needs of the people in the region.
D. Other Local Language absorption in the language of Tukang Besi Islands
Society
'It is solid, detailed, and comprehensive'
'This is an excellent grammar'
' 'A grammar of Tukang Besi' is an exemplary reference grammar'
'excellent coverage of the structural properties of the language'
'detailed coverage of argument structure morphology operations'.17
The above statements are the result of scientific studies and field studies conducted by several experts on the language of Tukang Besi Islands society. The statements show that the language of TBI society was very complete solid, and had an excellent grammar.18 In addition, the language of TBI society also had a comprehensive structure.19 question addressed to the conclusion is how did the TBI society form such a good language?
A reasonable indication to answer that question is the high mobility of TBI society to areas that were economically profitable, or in more simple language is the goal of TBI society was a market. The market is where the various needs can be obtained. The market is a place of transactions which require communication and intensive interaction in the process of bargaining. The market is where buyers meet sellers. Therefore, in a market, people from different ethnicities are involved in a communication, interacting with each other and the process of adaptation is required in order to acquire harmony. Due to this fact, the language of TBI was formed. Nevertheless the role of Malay language in the social process in Southeast Asia and the arrival of Islam in Indonesia and the spread of Islam to the eastern part of Indonesia gave a big contribution in the process of enrichment of the structure, grammar, and complementary elements of the local language, including the language of the Tukang Besi Islands.
Absorption of other local dialects was functioned to enrich the local dialect through appropriate adjustment or adaptation based on local. The word kita as mentioned above is one example of adaptation that occurs in the society of Tukang Besi Islands.
E. Conclusion
The analysis above shows that the language of TBI society was formed through the openness and mobility thus it is much more complete if it is compared to the other local dialects that are ecologically and culturally tended to be closed. As an illustration, indigenous ethnic languages of Anak Dalam and Badui which are likely closed had less vocabulary compared to the language of a society that build its economy and culture in an openness from the beginning. Public transportation and the skills of the people and also the geographic position have a big contribution to the development of local the local dialect of TBI.
The location of TBI which is far from the center of power (Buton) contributed to the independence of the region to develop their language composition. It is reflected from the number of words which are different from those in the language of Wolio.
The traders and inter-island mariner also have contribution to the Language of TBI society. From this contribution, we can find absorption elements in tracking and finding evidence of a link among the societies in TBI region with the societies in Java, Malaysia, Singapore, Ambon, Banjarmasin, and other areas in the archipelago.
As a closing of the paper, I would like to quote the words below as evidence that the broader interaction and high mobility and a strong spirit of adaptation is the philosophy of the formation of TBI language. Based on that, below recognition can bring credit to the speakers.
'It is solid, detailed, and comprehensive'
'This is an excellent grammar'
' 'A grammar of Tukang Besi' is an exemplary reference grammar'
'excellent coverage of the structural properties of the
'detailed coverage of argument structure morphology operations'
ENDNOTE
1. The paper is presented on International Conference on Language Education (ICOLE) Universitas Negeri Makassar (Macassar State University), 23-24 November 2009
2. Lecturer at the Historical Department, Faculty of Humanities, Airlangga University, Surabaya.
3. Discussion, suggestion, and critics for this paper can be delivered to the following email address: rabani7@mail.com
4. On the oldest map and source discovered by the writer, this region is called Toekang Besi Eiland (Dutch). See Stibbe, D.G. and E.M. Uhlenbeck, Ecyclopaedie van Nederlandsch Indië, Sub Boeton, (Leiden dan ‘s-Gravenhage, Martinus Nijhoff, 1921. L. van Voereen, Het Gouvernement Celebes Proeve Eener Monographie Deel I, Hoofd Ene Bureau, 1920. A. Ligtvoet, “Beschrijving en Geschiedenish van Boeton”, in BKI no. 26, 1878, page. 1.
5. Production goods which are made of iron known as qualified and very sharp, thus many traders liked the goods made by the people of TBI. La Ode Rabani, Migrasi dan Perkembangan Sosial Ekonomi Masyarakat Kepulauan Tukang Besi, 1961-1987, (Yogyakarta: a thesis of Letters Faculty of UGM, 1997).
6. D.G. Stibbe and E.M. Uhlenbeck, Ecyclopaedie van Nederlandsch Indië, Sub Boeton, (Leiden dan ‘s-Gravenhage, Martinus Nijhoff), 1921.
7. L. van Voereen, Het Gouvernement Celebes Proeve Eener Monographie Deel I, Hoofd Ene Bureau, 1920.
8. See Susanto Zuhdi, “Labu Wana Labu Rope: Sejarah Butun Abad XVII – XVIII”, in Dessertation in University of Indonesia, Jakarta, 1999. page. 99.
9. Since the independence day until today, this region is known as Wakatobi. Both the terms Wakatobi and Tukang Besi Islands (TBI) are commonly used regarding context of the sentence in which the term appears. Interview with La Ode Usman, in Kaledupa, 1997.
10. Ali Hadara, “Sistem Pelayaran dan Perdagangan Masyarakat Kepulauan Wakatobi: Tinjauan Kependidikan Sejarah”, (Kendari: A thesis of Haluoleo University, 1987)
11. The process took place in a very long time. Malacca Islands had become the main destination for the migrated people of TBI since the nature was fertile, providing food especially sagu and providing adequate lands for plantation, although they had to face the strike from pigs which could damage the crops. Pimento plantation was also an important factor as a provider of employment and which can provide income in the form of money La Ode Rabani, 1997 loc., cit.
12. La Ode Rabani, loc.cit.
13. Reference in TBI language is as follow: the word kadola ‘chicken’, originated from Popalia (a village in Binongko). This word is originated from Central Malayo-Polynesian, *kandoRa 'rat' (proto Austronesian *R becomes 0 (together with /u/ and sometimes /i/ or /h/ in the language of TBI, although it is not always the case. See Robert Blust, 1993. Central and Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian. Oceanic Linguistics 32 (2): 241-293.
14. S. Kaseng et al., Pemetaan Bahasa-Bahasa di Sulawesi Tenggara (Jakarta: Pusat Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa Depdikbud RI, 1987), page. 40.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Marian, Klamer. 1999. Grammaticalised Quotations in Kambera, Buru and Tukang Besi. In E. Zeitoun and Paul Jen-kuei Li, eds., Selected Papers from the Eighth International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics: 579-598. Taipei, Taiwan: Academica Sinica.
18. Ibid.
19. One example for the structure of KTB language is the word "Kita". This word is used to honor the oldest. In the Indonesian language the word 'kita' is the same as ‘us’ (all), but in the TBI language, the word "kita" can also mean ‘you’ (older). For example in the following sentence "kita mau kemana? "(where are we going?). It also means us (all) all (represents some people). For the first case, the word ‘kita’ is used only to respect someone older than the speaker.
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