Morphophonemic Phenomenon in Larantuka Malay Language East Flores District, Indonesia

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Flores– Larantuka Malay Shows Unique Sound Patterns, Linguists Map Morphonemic Shifts in East Flores. The research, conducted by Yosef Demon and Veronika Genua from the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Flores, and Aurelius F. Mento from the Cristo Re Maumere Polytechnic, was published in the Journal of Educational Analytics (JEDA) Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026).

The research, conducted by Yosef Demon and Veronika Genua, examines morphophonemic phenomena in Larantuka Malay (LM), a Malay-based creole spoken in Larantuka, Konga, East Flores, and parts of the Adonara region.

A Creole Language with Strong Vocalic Character

Larantuka Malay, locally known as Bahasa Nagi, has evolved as a creole language with heavy lexical absorption from surrounding languages. Unlike Standard Indonesian, LM demonstrates a strong “vocalic” typology—words typically end in vowels rather than consonants (pp. 90–93).

This typological feature drives many of the morphonemic processes observed in the study.

For example:

masak becomes masa?
keluar becomes kelua?
lepas becomes lepa?

As shown in Table 1 (p. 93), final consonants are consistently deleted, and words end with short vowel sounds often followed by a glottal stop.

Eight Major Morphonemic Processes Identified

Through qualitative descriptive methods, including observation, recording, and note-taking, the researchers identified several recurring patterns (pp. 94–104).

1️⃣ Final Consonant Deletion

Many LM words drop consonants at the end:

rambut → rambo?
tidur → tido?

This deletion often triggers vowel changes, particularly /u/ shifting to /o/.

2️⃣ Initial Consonant Deletion

The consonant /h/ at the beginning of words is frequently deleted:

hati → ati
hampa → ampa

The study notes that /h/ is a voiceless fricative, making it especially vulnerable to deletion in LM (pp. 92–94).

3️⃣ Vowel Changes (/u/ → /o/, /i/ → /e/, /a/ → /ə/)

When final consonants disappear, vowels often shift:

perut → pero?
rintik → rinte?
putih → pute?

As presented in Tables 2 and 3 (pp. 95–96), these vowel shifts occur because the vowels share similar phonological features, such as rounded or front vowel positions.

4️⃣ Nasalization of Final Vowels

In some cases, final vowels become nasalized after consonant deletion:

makan → makã
ikan → ikã
hidung → idõ

This phenomenon reflects both phonological simplification and local speech patterns (pp. 98–99).

5️⃣ Consonant Replacement

Certain consonants change before disappearing. For instance:

satu → hatu → atu
sana → hana → ana

The shift from /s/ to /h/ occurs because both are voiceless fricatives (pp. 100–101).

6️⃣ Contraction and Shortening

Everyday speech in LM often contracts phrases:

tadi malam → tǝmala
pagi hari → pǝgari
dini hari → dǝnari
tidak ada → tǝrada

These forms emerge through systematic deletion, vowel change, and sometimes insertion of sounds such as /r/ (pp. 101–104).

7️⃣ Monophthongization

Diphthongs simplify into single vowels:

bagaimana → begǝna
sungai → sunge
pantai → pante
pulau → pulo

This process reduces articulatory complexity and reflects phonological adaptation in LM (pp. 104–105).

Why These Findings Matter

The study confirms that morphonemic processes in Larantuka Malay are systematic rather than random. The deletion of consonants, vowel shifts, contraction patterns, and monophthongization follow identifiable phonological rules.

The research also strengthens documentation efforts for Eastern Indonesian Malay varieties. As LM continues to interact with Indonesian and other regional languages, understanding its morphonemic system becomes essential for:

Linguistic preservation
Comparative Austronesian studies
Creole language research
Educational material development

Future Research Directions

The authors recommend expanding research beyond descriptive classification toward theoretical modeling using rule-based phonology or Optimality Theory (p. 106)

They also encourage:

Comparative studies with other Eastern Indonesian Malay varieties
Sociophonological research examining age-based variation
Acoustic phonetic analysis for empirical validation

Such approaches would deepen understanding of LM and support its preservation.

Author Profiles

Yosef Demon_Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Flores University
Veronika Genua_Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Flores University
Aurelius F. Mento_Politeknik Cristo Re Maumere

Source

Demon, Y., Genua, V., & Mento, A. F. (2026).Morphophonemic Phenomenon in Larantuka Malay Language East Flores District, Indonesia. Journal of Educational Analytics (JEDA), Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 89–108.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/jeda.v5i1.613

URL : https://nblformosapublisher.org/index.php/jeda