A Structural Analysis of Phrase Patterns and Phonological-Morphophonemic Variation in the Mukomuko Language: A Lens of Structural Linguistic Framework
Authors
-
Rio Rinaldi
Universitas Bung Hatta
-
Risa Yulisna
Universitas Bung Hatta
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v6i3.5577Keywords:
Phrase structure, Phonology, Morphophonemic, Mukomuko languageAbstract
The Mukomuko language, a regional Malay variety spoken in Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu Province, remains insufficiently documented, particularly regarding the interaction between phrase structure and phonological–morphophonemic patterns in natural language use. Previous studies have examined phonological, morphological, or lexical features separately, leaving limited integrated evidence on their structural relationships. This study investigates phrase categories, structural patterns, phonological variation, and morphophonemic alternation in the Mukomuko language within a structural linguistic framework. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed involving 15 native speakers aged 50–75 years, purposively selected based on native-speaker status, continuous residence, and active daily use of the language. Data were collected through observation, listening, note-taking, semi-structured interviews, documentation, and five digital audio-recording sessions conducted in Mukomuko Regency. The resulting corpus comprised 618 phrase tokens, transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and validated through source and method triangulation as well as inter-speaker verification. The analysis identified 214 verbal, 152 nominal, 103 adjectival, 76 numeral, and 73 prepositional phrases. Nominal and adjectival phrases predominantly exhibit Head–Modifier (D–M) patterns, whereas verbal phrases consistently follow Modifier–Head (M–D) structures. Recurrent phonological variation includes rhotic realization, vowel alternation, final consonant reduction, nasal alternation, and glottal realization, while morphophonemic alternation is primarily reflected in the allomorphic realization of the meN- prefix through regular nasal assimilation. These findings provide an integrated description of phrase structure and sound patterns, contributing to the documentation of regional Malay varieties and comparative studies in Indonesian Malay dialectology.
Downloads
References
Chaer, A. (2015). Fonologi bahasa Indonesia. Rineka Cipta.
Retrieved from https://inlislite.ipdn.ac.id/opac/detail-opac?id=26309
Eaton, J., & Turin, M. (2022). Heritage languages and language as heritage: The language of heritage in Canada and beyond. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 28(7), 787–802.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2022.2053284
Kasiyarno, K., & Apriyanto, S. (2025). The influence of globalisation on the shift in local language and cultural identity. Journal Corner of Education, Linguistics, and Literature, 4(3), 372–383.
Katamba, F., & Stonham, J. (2018). Morphology (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.
Retrieved from https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/morphology-9781137111319/
Kridalaksana, H. (2007). Pembentukan kata dalam bahasa Indonesia. Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
Kridalaksana, H. (2017). Sintaksis. Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
Lameli, A., Montemagni, S., & Nerbonne, J. (2025). Dialectal dynamics—An introduction. Languages, 10(10), Article 265.
https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10100265
Lonardi, S. (2022). Minority languages and tourism: A literature review. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 17(3), 342–356.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2021.1991451
Lubis, M. A. Z., & Lubis, T. (2024). Sound change of Batahan language as Malay dialect in Mandailing Natal Regency. Tradition and Modernity of Humanity, 4(2), 36–43.
Mahsun. (2019). Metode penelitian bahasa: Tahapan, strategi, metode, dan tekniknya (3rd ed.). Rajawali Pers.
Retrieved from https://library.uniba-bpn.ac.id/index.php?id=16620&p=show_detail
Massuannan, A., & Usman, A. U. (2025). Regional languages as markers of cultural identity in the dynamics of multiculturalism. Acculturation: Journal of Social Science Research, 1(1).
Meliana, R., Manalu, M. M. S., & Triyono, S. (2024). Tracing the linguistic roots of Malay and Batak languages in Sumatra Island: A historical comparative study. OKARA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra, 18(1), 142–164.
https://doi.org/10.19105/ojbs.v18i1.12547
Meliana, R., Rahmani, I. L., Yuliana, A., & Wafi, R. (2026). The exploration of language evolution: A study of linguistic divergence and kinship in the provinces of Sumatra Island. Linguistik Indonesia, 44(1), 55–77.
Moleong, L. J. (2021). Metodologi penelitian kualitatif. Remaja Rosdakarya.
Patriantoro, P. (2025). Comparative phonology of Malay languages in West Kalimantan Province: A dialectological study. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 333–347.
Pfau, R., & Steinbach, M. (2023). Morphology in sign languages: Theoretical issues and typological contrasts. In P. Ackema, S. Bendjaballah, E. Bonet, & A. Fábregas (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell companion to morphology (Vol. 3, pp. 1445–1482). Wiley-Blackwell.
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119693604.morphcom048
Saddhono, K. (2020). Martabat Tembung Wali of Sunan Gunung Jati: As the value of religious humanism for the people of Cirebon. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 76(3), Article a5.
https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i3.6084
Sanz-Sánchez, I., & Moyna, M. I. (2023). Children as agents of language change: Diachronic evidence from Latin American Spanish phonology. Journal of Historical Linguistics, 13(3), 327–374.
https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.21014.san
Siame, P., Kangwa, K. N., Kapau, H. M., & Chisenga, R. P. A. (2025). Morphophonological processes and micro-variations in the verbal morphology of ciLungu, ciMambwe, and ciNamwanga languages.
Sugiyono. (2022). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.
Tambusai, A., & Nasution, K. (2024). A comparative typology of verbal affixes in Riau-Malay and Sundanese. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 13(3), 636–647.
https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v13i3.66954
Thenu, F. (2026). Realization of phrases in Ambon Malay. Alphabet, 9(1), 36–47.
Watimelu, W. O. S. (2024). Community-led initiatives in language preservation: Strategies for endangered language documentation and revitalization. LIER: Language Inquiry & Exploration Review, 1(1), 1–9.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Rio Rinaldi, Risa Yulisna
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with JOLLS agree to the following terms:
- For all articles published in JOLLS, copyright is retained by the authors. Authors permit the publisher to announce the work with conditions. When the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors agree to implement a non-exclusive transfer of publishing rights to the journals.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
