Cultural Values Associated With the Use of Ecolexicon “Bamboo” in Karonese Proverbs

Abstract

—One of the consequences of the close interrelationship between languages and their respective environments is the influence of the environment on the creation and maintenance of proverbs. Many proverbs use ecology-related lexemes (vocabulary from the "ecolexicon") to make their point. Previous studies were concerned with the general classification of ecolexical items used in proverbs. Such studies have neglected to study the use of bamboo in explorations of the flora-related ecolexicon, and this gap is especially notable when it comes to the study of proverbs. In response, this paper aims at (i) formulating the function-based typology of the bamboo-related ecolexicon used in Karonese proverbs; and (ii) finding out the cultural values of bamboo-related ecolexical items used in Karonese proverbs. This study was conducted using a descriptive qualitative method, taking Kabanjahe, the capital of Karo Regency, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, as the research location. The data were bamboo-related ecolexical items used in Karonese proverbs, collected from five informants through an unstructured, open-ended interview. The data were analyzed qualitatively using an interactive model of data analysis. The findings promote research on the typology of bamboo-related ecolexical items based on how Karonese people utilize bamboo. The characteristics of bamboo-related ecolexical data also metaphorize the real-life setting in Karonese culture, contributing to the formation of several cultural values that have been passed down from generation to generation.