CHAPTER I

BACKGROUND

1.1. Context

Language is the important one in our life. We can communicate with other people

easily because language. That’s why language has given the important contribution in our

social life. In our social life, we need to communicate with others, and to communicate, we

talk each other. So, when we talk each other, we make conversation.

By conversation, people can share their opinions, feelings, and information. In

conversation, mutual cooperation will appear for each individual of man. Therefore, we

must take note of politeness, speech acts, and conversational implicature as theories which

are related to the speaker or user in conversation.

When the speaker makes social relation with the hearer by showing good manner

and respect, we called it politeness theory. The linguist Robin Lakoff (1973 in Cook

1989:33) has formulated maxims of politeness as follows:

Don’t Impose (the speaker can’t enforce his will to the hearer)

Give Options(let the hearer to have some choices or alternatives)

Make your receiver feel good

Politeness theory will make and keep our social communication run well.

Speech act theory is an approach which tries to formulate how such knowledge is

brought into play (Guy Cook 1989:35). Speech act is when the speaker says something, his

words considered as an action. Speech act theory provides us with a means of probing

beneath the surface of discourse and establishing the function of what is being said.

Conversational Implicature theory is the theory when the proposition or the

statement of the speaker just in his thought and not appear in his words. Implicature is a

concept of utterance meaning as opposed to sentence meaning, and it is related to the

method by which speakers work out the indirect illocutions of utterances (Hurford

1983:278). According to Grice (1975), “There are two types of conversational implicature,

generalized and particularized implicature.

- A Generalized Implicature is a conversational implicature that is inferable

without reference to a special context.

- A Particularized Implicature is a conversational implicature that is derivable

only in a specific context”.

In this research, the writer chooses to concern on one of these kinds of theory that

related to the speaker in conversation, i.e. conversational implicature theory. As one of the

regional languages used by the biggest ethnic in Sulawesi Island, Buginese language

attracts the writer to learn more about it, particularly about the unique and odd language or

words in Lise’ region in Sidrap, that language known as Pau-paunna Tolise’. The writer

interests to learn about Conversational Implicature in Pau-paunna Tolise’.

In Buginese language, pau-paunna means words in communication, Tolise’

means people who live or stay in Lise’ region. to means ‘people’, Lise’ is the name of one

of regions in Sidrap. So, Pau-paunna Tolise’ means the words of people who live in Lise’.

Tolise’ always talk with their own way; they talk based on what is in their thought or based

on their own understanding. Pau-paunna Tolise’ is based on logic, even very logical until

cause the oddity. In pragmatic, we recognize this case as conversational implicature where

it is about the matter of what is implicated in Pau-paunna Tolise’ when they talk or make

conversation with other people outside their region.

The oddity of Tolise’ words have been chosen as a focus from the previous study

by Suardi Umar (1990) in his thesis “Aspek Semantik Pau-paunna Tolise’e”. He was

interested in semantic aspect and concern to the larger field than the writer’s study.

Another person who have chose the similar field is Muhammad Rosadi (2001) in

his thesis “Implikatur Percakapan dalam Larry king live weekend di CNN”. He has the

same focus with the writer’s research but in different object.

This research has particular concerns that what is stated may not have meaning as

same as what we mean and understand because of the habit or the culture. Pau-paunna

Tolise’ contains implicatures, the writer is interested in conducting a study in implicature as

found in Pau-paunna Tolise’.

1.2. Research Questions

The research questions for this study are:

a. What are the examples of Pau-paunna Tolise’ ?

b. What types of implicatures are identified from each the examples of Pau-paunna

Tolise’?

c. What types of implicatures are produced the most frequently from all examples?

1.3. Rationale

The importance of this research due to understanding for other people outside

Lise’ region of the way Tolise’ make conversation that contains implicatures that have to

being their habit or culture so that successful communication will be achieved.

1.4. Significance

The result of this research is expected to:

a. Raise the understanding and the awareness of predicting the conveyed meaning when

communicating with Tolise’ people.

b. Add knowledge about conversational implicature that still exist around us in fact.

c. Give the useful inputs to those who are interested in doing similar research.

CHAPTER II

THEORY

2.1. Communication

Language has held the role in communication. When we communicate, we use

language and hope that our partner understand and get the point of what we mean. As

Muhammad Rosadi (2001) said, “When we used language, we have done three points: 1)

we say something (locution); 2) we show how we expect the listener to understand what we

have said (illocution); 3) we have to confirm the effects to the hearer as the result

(perlocution)”.

In communication, language is the main medium. With language, our

communication closely tied in with others in our social life. Language is the arbitrer sound

symbol, used by the social groups to cooperates, communicates, and identified their self

(Kentjono 1982:2).

Beside language that we used as verbal communication, non-verbal

communication also used in communicates. For instance, our face, eyes, and our body can

show what we represent while speaking. Maybe we just smile when someone ask question

or nodding to indicate agreement or due to dozing. It is related to Richards and Schmidt

(1983:4) definition. They said, “Communication as the exchange and deliberation of

information between two individuals through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols,

spoken and written, visual modes, and production and comprehension processes”.

When we communicate, we involve many aspects until our communication

deliberate. As Jakobson and Hymes (in Cook 1989:25) said that there e elements of

communication:

The addresser: the person who originates the message. This is usually the same as the

person who is sending the message, but not always, as in the case of messengers,

spokespeople, and town criers.

The addressee: the person whom the message is addressed. This is usually the person

who receives the message, but not necessarily so, as in the case of intercepted letters,

bugged telephone calls, and eavesdropping.

The channel: the medium through which the message travels: sound waves, marks on

paper, telephone wires, word processor screens.

The message form: the particular grammatical and lexical choices of the message.

The topic: the information carried in the message.

The code: the language or dialect, for example, Swedish Yorkshire English, Semaphore,

British Sign Language, Japanese.

The settings: the social or physical context.

From all explanations above, we know that communication is one of the language

functions to carrying information. But, it is just one of seven language functions as

Jakobson and Hymes (in Cook 1989:25-26):

1. The emotive function:

Communicating the inner states and emotions of the addresser (‘Oh no!’,

‘Fantastic!’, ‘Ugh!’, and swear words used as exclamations).

2. The directive function:

Seeking to affect the behavior of the addressee (‘Please help me!’, ‘Shut up!’,

‘I’m warning you!’).

3. The phatic function:

Opening the channel or checking that it is working, either for social reasons

(‘Hello’, ‘Lovely weather’, ‘Do you come here often?’) or for practical ones (‘Can you

hear me?’, ‘Are you still there?’, ‘Can you see the blackboard from the back of the room?’,

‘Can you read my writing?’).

4. The poetic function:

In which the particular form chosen is the essence of the message. (The

advertising slogan BEANZ MEANZ HEINZ would lose its point if it were paraphrased as ‘If

you are buying beans, you will naturally buy Heinz’).

5. The referential function: Carrying information.

6. The metalinguistic function:

Focusing attention upon the code itself, to clarify it or renegotiate it (‘What does

this word here mean?’, ‘This bone is known as the “femur”’, ‘ “Will” and”Shall” ’ mean

the same thing nowadays’).

7. The contextual function:

Creating a particular kind of communication (‘Right, let’s start the lecture’, ‘It’s

just a game’).

As a conclusion, communication cannot be separated from the role of language,

and it is also need all its elements in order to achieve the certain purpose such as giving

information and to appear conversation among social groups.

2.2. Conversation

A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue (Truman Capote in Quoteland.com

2001). Thus, conversation must involves at least two people and cooperate each other. That

was Paul Grice (1975) said as co-operative principle and it has four maxims which the

sender have to obey:

The Maxim of Quality (be true) – tell the hearer the true or the exact information

The Maxim of Quantity (be brief) – tell the hearer just what he needs, no more no less

The Maxim of Relevance (be relevant) – keep to the topic of the conversation

The Maxim of Manner (be clear) – speak in a way that the hearer will understand

If someone asks question or need information from us, certainly we have to give

them the definite answer and information so that our conversation will co-operative. Look

at the instance below:

Policeman: “Is your father or mother at home?”

The boy (who knows that his mother is at home): “Either my father’s gone out

fishing or at office”

Actually the boy has given the information or the answer for the policeman, but it

is not specific, so it is unhelpful and less informative, whereas the boy actually knows that

his mother is at home. In this case, the boy do not use or obey the Maxim of Quality.

Besides that, we also must pay attention to the brief information when we make

conversation. The conversation will co-operative if we just give the information what the

hearer needs to know, don’t exaggerate and don’t lessen.

Tourist in Makassar: “Where is the position of Pantai Losari?”

Makassarnese person: “Pantai Losari located in Jl.Penghibur and not far from

there, also be located Fort Rotterdam which is very exciting to visit”.

The instance above does not obey the Maxim of Quantity. It has more information

than what is tourist needs to know. Therefore, we must concern to the question what the

hearer wants in order that we can present the exact information and do not turn to the other

topic. Look the example below:

Traffic warden to motorist: “Is this your motorcycle?”

Motorist (looking at the black clouds): “I think it’s going to rain”.

The conversation above is irrelevant, the motorist do not keep the topic of the

conversation, so it is unhelpful information since the motorist does not follow the rule of

Maxim of Relevance. It makes the conversation do not clear and make the traffic warden

do not understand with the answer that given to him. Another example which is does not

clear can be seen below:

Bill: “I know you don’t steal her gold, do you?”

Jack: “Well, I don’t not steal”.

The answer of Jack is not clear. Actually he can simply answer if he means he

steal as clear as possible: “I steal”. Jack’s answer convey information that more complex

or subtle and it makes Bill as the hearer difficult to understand.

The conclusion is that the maxim of co-operative principle related each other. The

co-operative conversation will come out when all maxims obeyed.

2.3. Implicature

An implicature is something meant, implied, or suggested distinct from what is

said (Stanford University, 2005). There are three types of general conversational

implicature as Paul Grice (1975) identified:

1. The speaker deliberately flouts a conversational maxim to convey an additional

meaning not expressed literally. For instance, a speaker responds to the question "How

did you like the guest speaker?" with the following utterance: “Well, I’m sure he was

speaking English”.

If the speaker is assumed to be following the co-operative principle, in spite of flouting

the Maxim of Quantity, then the utterance must have an additional non-literal meaning,

such as: "The content of the speaker’s speech was confusing."

2. The speaker’s desire to fulfill two conflicting maxims results in his or her flouting one

maxim to invoke the other. For instance, a speaker responds to the question "Where is

John?" with the following utterance: “He’s either in the cafeteria or in his office”.

In this case, the Maxim of Quantity and the Maxim of Quality are in conflict. A co-

operative speaker does not want to be ambiguous but also does not want to give false

information by giving a specific answer in spite of his uncertainty. By flouting the

Maxim of Quantity, the speaker invokes the Maxim of Quality, leading to the

implicature that the speaker does not have the evidence to give a certain answer to

where John is.

3. The speaker invokes a maxim as a basis for interpreting the utterance. In the following

exchange: “Do you know where I can get some gas?”

“There’s a gas station around the corner”.

The second speaker invokes the Maxim of Relevance, resulting in the implicature that

“The gas station is open and one can probably get gas there”.

Conversational implicature is the important concept in pragmatic because of four

things:

First, implicature concept enables the explanation of linguistic facts which do not

reached by linguistic theory.

Second, implicature concept gives the explanation about meaning and what is

stated external is different. For instance, the question about time can responded by states

the event which is usually happen in certain time.

A: “What time you back from the school?”

B: “After Ashar”.

The answer about the exact time not stated indeed, but A has known and

understands that after Ashar is about 15.30.

Third, implicature concept can simplify the semantic description structure and

contain. For example: “Maybe he will come tonight or maybe he comes yet tonight”

The sentence above can shorten by just saying: “Maybe he will come tonight”

This second sentence contains similar meaning with the first sentence.

Fourth, implicature concept can exactly explain some language facts (Levinson

1983:97).

Metaphysics research of Stanford University (2005) wrote, “Implicatures can be

part of sentence meaning or dependent on conversational context, and can be conventional

or unconventional”.

Definition above in harmony with Grice (1975) who has made a distinction

between what is said by a speaker of a verbal utterance and what is implicated. What is

implicated might be either conventional (that is, largely generated by the standing meaning

of certain linguistic expressions, such as ‘but’ and ‘moreover’) or conversational (that is,

dependent on the assumptions that the speaker is obeying the rules of conversation to the

best of their ability).

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

Wuradji in Pengantar Penelitian (1994:1) said:

“Penelitian atau riset adalah suatu kegiatan atau proses seistematis untuk

memecahkan masalah dengan dukungan data sebagai landasan dalam mengambil

kesimpulan”.

(Research is an activity or systematic process to solve the problem with data

supports as the foundation in making conclusion).

Therefore, to support this research, the writer uses some methods and techniques

which are appropriate with the study that the writer wants to learn.

Some methods and techniques are as follows:

3.1. Library Research

Library research is the way of secondary data. The writer collects theories and

definitions which are related to the research topic from the library or search on internet. In

this research, the writer used some techniques such as reading, make a note, make a brief,

paraphrase, etc.

3.2. Field Research

Field research is the way of collecting the primary data. The writer straight

entered into a region to collect data from the research object. The writer used technique

such as record. The writer records the conversations, inspects and examines it, and then

identifies the implicature in those conversations.

3.3 Method for Analyzing Data

The writer used descriptive method in analyzing the data. The writer explains

founded data completely. Besides that, the writer also uses the pragmatic approach to

analyze the data.

3.4. Population and Samples

3.4.1. Population

Population in this research is the words or the conversation between Tolise’ and

people outside Lise’ region (non-Tolise’) which is contains implicatures.

3.4.2. Samples

The samples in this research is Tolise’ and non-Tolise’ when they make

conversation. There are ten conversations by ten couples for analyzed.