Morphological and semantic analysis of the word "memohon" as an equivalent of "berdoa" in Indonesian
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58881/jlps.v4i2.125Keywords:
memohon, pohon, memanjatkan doa, etymology, Indonesian morphology, mengirim doaAbstract
This research focuses to analyse the morphological and semantic structure of the Indonesian word memohon, particularly in its usage as a synonym for berdoa (to pray or to request earnestly). It also explores the possibility that memohon originates from the noun pohon (tree), considering the phonological transformation that typically occurs when the prefix me- is attached to root words beginning with the consonant "p." A qualitative methodology is applied in this study, incorporating both descriptive and analytical analysis. The data of the study are drawn from dictionaries, linguistic references, and relevant Indonesian language corpora. The analysis involves the examination of word formation (morphology), phoneme shifts, and lexical as well as contextual meanings of memohon. The findings reveal that although pohon and memohon may appear phonologically similar, there is no direct etymological connection between them. The verb memohon is derived from the base word mohon, which has long existed in Classical Malay with the meaning of 'to respectfully request.' The prefix me- forms the active verb memohon, commonly used in both formal and spiritual contexts. Therefore, although memohon is often associated with praying, it is not derived from pohon. The study concludes that phonetic similarity alone is insufficient for determining word origins and highlights the importance of etymological evidence in morphological analysis. The findings of this research enhance understanding of the fields of lexicology and semantics in Indonesian, especially concerning the formation and use of spiritually significant verbs.
References
Alwi, H., Dardjowidjojo, S., Lapoliwa, H., & Moeliono, A. M. (2014). Tata bahasa baku bahasa Indonesia (4th ed.). Balai Pustaka.
Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa. (2016). Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (Edisi III). Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia.
Blank, A. (1997). Prinzipien des lexikalischen Bedeutungswandels am Beispiel der romanischen Sprachen. Niemeyer.
Cahyani, A., & Suryadi, S. (2021). Affixation processes in Bahasa Indonesia: A morphological review. International Journal of Indonesian Linguistics, 2(1), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1234/ijil.v2i1.123
Chaer, A. (2009). Linguistik umum [General linguistics]. Jakarta, Indonesia: Rineka Cipta.
Chaer, A., & Agustina, L. (2020). Sosiolinguistik: Perkenalan awal (6th ed.). Rineka Cipta.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Dewi, N. M. S. C. (2023). Lexical and grammatical cohesion analysis of “nothing like us” song lyrics: written discourse analysis. Journal of Language and Pragmatics Studies, 2(1), 19–27. https://doi.org/10.58881/jlps.v2i1.9 (Original work published March 31, 2023).
Eliade, M. (1959). The sacred and the profane: The nature of religion (W. R. Trask, Trans.). Harcourt.
Erawati, N. K. S., & Putrayasa, I. B. (2022). Semantic analysis of verbs used in religious contexts in Balinese and Indonesian. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 15(1), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.3333/jlls.2022.15.1.3
Evans, V. (2010). How words mean: Lexical concepts, cognitive models, and meaning construction. Oxford University Press.
Evans, V. (2010). Thinking for speaking: Language as a tool for thought. In V. Evans & P. Chilton (Eds.), Language, cognition and space: The state of the art and new directions (pp. 451–488). Equinox.
Fauconnier, G., & Turner, M. (2002). The way we think: Conceptual blending and the mind’s hidden complexities. Basic Books.
Fox, J. J. (1993). Comparative perspectives on Austronesian houses: An introductory essay. In J. J. Fox (Ed.), Inside Austronesian Houses: Perspectives on domestic designs for living (pp. 1–29). The Australian National University.
Geertz, C. (1960). The religion of Java. University of Chicago Press.
KBBI. (2016). KBBI Daring. Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah Republik Indonesia. https://kbbi.kemdikbud.go.id/
Keane, W. (2007). Christian moderns: Freedom and fetish in the mission encounter. University of California Press.
Kövecses, Z. (2010). Metaphor: A practical introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Kridalaksana, H. (2013). Pembentukan kata dalam bahasa Indonesia (Revised ed.). PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1999). Philosophy in the flesh: The embodied mind and its challenge to Western thought. Basic Books.
Laksana, I. K. D. (2020). Phonological adaptation and affixation in Indonesian loanwords. GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies, 20(1), 48–65. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2020-2001-04
Malinowski, B. (1923). The problem of meaning in primitive languages. In C. K. Ogden & I. A. Richards (Eds.), The meaning of meaning (pp. 296–336). Harcourt, Brace & World.
Moleong, L. J. (2019). Qualitative research methodology (Rev. ed.). Bandung, Indonesia: PT Remaja Rosdakarya.
Musgrave, S. (2014). The role of morphology in Indonesian derivational processes. Wacana, 15(2), 257–273.
Nugraha, A. H., Almahdi, S., Zahra, A., & Karlina, I. (2021). Morphometric characteristic and growth responses of Enhalus acoroides seedlings under different substrate composition treatment. Omni-Akuatika, 17(2), 112–117. http://ojs.omniakuatika.net
Nugraha, D. S. (2020). The comparative analysis of syntactic features between Indonesian and English denominal verbs. LiNGUA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa dan Sastra, 15(1), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.18860/ling.v15i1.7680
Nugraha, D. S. (2021). Morphosemantic features of derivational affix {Me(N)-} in the Indonesian denumeral verb constructions. Sirok Bastra, 9(2), 125–134. https://doi.org/10.37671/sb.v9i2.317
Nugraha, D. S. (2023). Morphosyntactic Features of Membuat ‘Make’ in the Light Verb Constructions of Indonesian. European Journal of Language and Culture Studies, 2(2), 33–43. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejlang.2023.2.2.80
Paramita, R., Somawati, N. P., & Zulfan, M. (2025). Analysis of language structure and social relations in religious lecturers’ speeches to street food vendors: Pragmatic and sociolinguistic perspectives. Journal of Language, Literature, Social and Cultural Studies, 3(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.58881/jllscs.v3i1.195
Ramlan, M. (2005). Morphology: A descriptive overview. Yogyakarta, Indonesia: CV Karyono.
Reddit user discussion. (2023). History of Malay Language (including Indonesian). Reddit.
Satyawati, Made & Krisnawati, Ni & Purnawati, Ketut & Artawa, Ketut. (2022). Figure-Ground Alignment Patterns in Indonesian. Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 12. 2322-2332. 10.17507/tpls.1211.12.
Satyawati, M. S., Kardana, I. N., & Claria, D. A. K. (2021). Morpho-semantic of predicate in Indonesian. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 12(6), 1082–1088. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1204.24
Siahaan, R. (2008). The role of metaphor in Indonesian political discourse. Journal of Pragmatics, 40(7), 1200–1221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2007.08.002
Sneddon, J. N., Adelaar, A., Djenar, D. N., & Ewing, M. C. (2010). Indonesian: A comprehensive grammar (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Sneddon, J. N., Adelaar, A., Djenar, D. N., & Ewing, M. C. (2012). Indonesian: A comprehensive grammar (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203087777
Sneddon, J. N., Adiwinata, A., Djenar, D. N., & Ewing, M. C. (2010). Indonesian: A comprehensive grammar (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Somawati, N. P., Wajdi, M., Susanto, B., Claridad, N., Mohammed, L., & Udoudom, U. I. (2024). Morphological transformation of numerical phrases into verbs in the Javanese language. Journal of Language, Literature, Social and Cultural Studies, 2(3), 186–196. https://doi.org/10.58881/jllscs.v2i3.125
Sudaryanto. (2015). Metode dan aneka teknik analisis bahasa: Pengantar penelitian wahana kebudayaan secara linguistis. Sanata Dharma University Press.
Sugiyono. (2017). Quantitative, qualitative, and R&D research methods. Bandung, Indonesia: Alfabeta.
Sugiyono. (2019). Metode penelitian kualitatif, kuantitatif dan R&D. Alfabeta.
Suryawinata, Z., & Hariyanto, S. (2021). The influence of cultural interpretation in Indonesian folk linguistics. Linguistik Indonesia, 39(2), 91–106. https://doi.org/10.26499/li.v39i2.1267
Syahidah, N. N. (2024). Word formation of slang used in selected songs of SZA’s sos album. Journal of Language and Pragmatics Studies, 3(3), 177–191. https://doi.org/10.58881/jlps.v3i3.66
Trask, R. L. (1994). Language change. Routledge.
Tylor, E. B. (1871). Primitive culture: Researches into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, art, and custom. John Murray.
Wajdi, M., Suarja, I. K., Susanto, B., Mustafa, M., Udoudom, U. I., & Claridad, N. F. (2024). Analysing Indonesian words "mencari ilmu," "menuntut ilmu," "menimba ilmu," and "menggali ilmu": An active learning in Indonesia. Journal of Language and Pragmatics Studies, 3(3), 192–201. https://doi.org/10.58881/jlps.v3i3.64
Wajdi, M., Ikhsanudin, I., Hasan, MM., & Sharmin, F. (2020). The study of Indonesian verbs berkata, bersabda, and berfirman. Journal Of Applied Studies In Language, 4(2), 281-293. doi:10.31940/jasl.v4i2.2149
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ratri Paramita, Muhammad Zulfan, Booni Tauhid
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
