CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This chapter discusses background
of the study, problems of the study, objectives of the study, significance of
the study, scope and limitation of the study, and definition of the key terms.
All sections which have been mentioned above will be discussed as follows: 1.1
Background of the Study Language is the
most important means of communication. It does not matter whether it is in the
spoken or written form. We can understand each other through language. People
cannot deny that almost of them need to communicate in their daily activities.
Language is a means to transfer
information and ideas containing meaning.
Meaning is not made by language
alone. In a speech it is accompanied by gesture, postural, situational, and
paralinguistic information; while in the writing, it is accompanied by choices
in the visual coding of words and other graphical information. The meaning of
any text or discourse even always depends on how people try to connect it to
the textual and contextual information (Lengka in Mahmuda, 2003:3).
Understanding the language and
the context when the language is used in communication is inseparable, since
language is bounced by context. It means that true meaning often lies not in
the actual words uttered or written, but in the complexity of social knowledge.
(Chaika in Abidin, 2003: 2) states that the actual meaning of utterance depends partially on the
social context in which it occurs.
Therefore, language will make the
language-user free as individuals in forming and uttering but chain their
socially.
Certain words in all societies
are considered taboo-they are not to be used, or at least in certain
circumstances. The word taboo was borrowed from Tonga, a Polynesian language,
in which it refers to some things that are forbidden or to be avoided. When an
act is taboo that is the first people are forbidden to do something; and then
they are forbidden to talk about it. Forbidden acts or say some words reflect
the particular customs and views of the society. Some words may be used in
certain circumstances and not in other.
In Islamic instructions, people
are commanded to do everything well. It is illustrated in Qur’an (Surah
Al-Hujuraat, verse: 11) which states that: Means that: O you who believe! let
not (one) people laugh at (another) people perchance they may be better than
them, nor let women (laugh) at (other) women, perchance they may be better than
them; and do not find fault with your own people nor call one another by
nicknames; evil is a bad name after faith, and whoever does not turn, these it
is that are the unjust.
Taboo is one of linguistics
phenomena, it occurs in the most languages because every member of the society
has different ways to express his/her mind in
language. Moreover, it depends very much on moral values, norms and
culture that have been grown and developed in one society which is exist and
agreed together (Rahardjo, 2002: 35).
Taboo is a word and expression
that are deemed by society to be appropriate for the used by its member, at
least in a polite company. This is included a large body of curse words and
expressions, typically referring to sexual act, and epithet which are used to
describe different religions, nationalities, and races; i.e. words and phrases
used to negatively degrade religious beliefs or symbols (Fromklin and Rodman,
2005: 476).
Wardhaugh (1986: 229) states that
taboo is related to the culture meanings, which are expressed in language. It
means that language is used to avoid saying certain thing which is considered
immoral and improper to the certain thing.
In Islamic view, people are
commanded to do everything well. It is illustrated in hadith that is narrated
by Imam Muslim: Abu Hurairah ra. Said: Allah’s messenger (may peace be upon
him) Uttered: “In truth, Allah is the greatest Substance and He does not accept
everything to him except the great ones”.
Also according to Abu Hurairah in
Buchari’s and Muslim’s hadith, Allah’s messenger (may peace be upon him) said
that: From Abu Hurairah ra. Our prophet Muhammad said: people who believe to Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala and
doomsday, they should honor their guest
deeply. People who believe to Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala and doomsday, they should continue
relationship. People who believe to Allah
Subhanahu Wata’ala and doomsday, they should not talk dirty word. (from Buchari Muslim).
Therefore, to avoid showing miserable thing or
to prevent saying unpleasant words people use euphemism. Along with the
argumentation above, Rahardjo (2002: 38) briefly states that as a change of
linguistic taboo, language user uses to talk about words that are considered
taboo.
Euphemism exists in most of our
society, the result of dressing up certain area in life to make them more
presentable, euphemistic words and expressions allow us to talk about
unpleasant things and neutralize the unpleasantness, e.g. the subject of death,
and dying, employment and criminality Wardhaugh, (1986:231).
Taboo and euphemism become common
phenomena in today’s life. These also accrue in most of media such as radio,
television, magazine, tabloid, etc.
Television is one of electronic
media that cultural meanings are expressible.
Television could be both
entertainment and cultural richness that life reflected within. People use
television as a tool of communication. Through television, people may watch and listen directly to the
information and entertainment provided; this can be from film, news,
documentation, music and any other programs.
The study of taboo is not a new
thing in the field of sociolinguistics.
However, the researches on taboo
and euphemism in film are limited since most of the study discusses taboo on
racist subject. In Indonesia, a study of taboo mostly occurs in ethnography
social research and hardly investigation taboo and euphemism in entertainment
area such as in music and film. This area seems to be the least interest for
Indonesian researchers since there are many taboo phenomena in each different
region in Indonesia.
Based on the above condition, the researcher
focuses his study on taboo words and euphemistic utterances reflected on the
film. In this research, the researcher uses Ali G Film as the subject of the
study. It is because this film is actually satire comedy that has two crucial
interpretations. First, Ali is a white man that is impersonating a black man.
In this case, someone might be finding it is funny where this white comedian is
poking fun at white people who overdo their impression of black youth culture.
Then the second, Ali becomes part of an evil chancellor’s plot to expel the
prime minister of Great Britain. And also the researcher finds some language
phenomena and cultural studies. Therefore, the researcher focuses his study on
taboo words and euphemistic utterances reflected on Ali G Film by using
cooperative principle as a basic assumption in conversation or action that each
participant attempts to contribute.
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