COLOR NOMENCLATURES IN BALINESE LANGUAGE WITHIN LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Balinese language has some unique color nomenclatures. How those colors are categorized into different nomenclatures becomes the first concern of this study. Then, why those nomenclatures are linguistically unique and exist culturally in different ways is the second question. NSM (Natural Semantic Metalanguage) is used both in theory and method. Since some Balinese terms are inexplicable through semantic primes of the NSM, linguistic relativity theory is used to dig descriptive meanings and concepts of those color nomenclatures in Balinese cultural linguistic realm. The study finds that there are four color nomenclatures in Balinese language, and those nomenclatures are different mainly because of religious and historical backgrounds.