A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF PHONETICS AND PHONEME IN NGGAHI MBOJO LANGUAGE IN BIMA, WEST NUSATENGGARA

Abstract

As one of many local languages that belong to Indonesia, Nggahi Mbojo language
has become a very interesting subject to be researched for its characteristics and
its uniqueness. This paper entitled A Descriptive Study of Phonetics and Phoneme in Nggahi Mbojo Language in Bima, West Nusatenggara deals with one of the major branches in linguistics, phonology. This paper aims at analysing the
distribution of vowels and also consonants sounds in Nggahi Mbojo language.
Furthermore, this research also aims at finding phonemes in Nggahi Mbojo
languge. In order to achieve the aims of the study, this paper applies qualitative
methodology research and uses referring method with recording and writing
techniques (Mashun: 2000) to obtain the data. Qualitative methodology research
is an interpretive and naturalistic approach: ―This means that qualitative
researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000). At the end of this study, it is known that there are seventeen consonant sounds and five vowel sounds in Nggahi Mbojo language. The consonants sounds are [b], [c], [f], [g], [h], [k], [l], [m], [n], [Å‹], [p], [r], [s],[t], [w], [j] and [Ê”] while the vowel sounds are [a], [i], [u], [e], and [o]. Out of those vowel and consonant sounds in Nggahi Mbojo Language, fifteen sounds
take role as phoneme. They consist of eleven consonant sounds and for vowel
sounds. They are [a], [u], [e], and [o] for vowel sounds and [m], [n], [f], [Å‹], [p],[r], [w], [h], [d], [s], and [r] for consonant sounds.
Keywords: Nggahi Mbojo Language, vowel sound, consonant sound, phoneme