Sociolinguistic Studies of Friday Sermon using Javanese as an Effort
to Preserves Indigenous Language in Java Island
Kundharu Saddhono and Ani Rakhmawati
Indonesian Language Education Department, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universtias Sebelas Maret,
Surakarta, Indonesia
Keywords: Sociolinguistic Studies, Language Use, Friday Sermon, Javanese Language, Indigenous Language.
Abstract: This research tells about Friday sermon using Javanese language to know the form and function of language
usage in the domain of religion especially in Central Java and DIY as effort to preserves indigenous language.
Purposes of the research are to (1) describe the discourse structure of Friday sermon using Javanese language
then related with communication context and style of khotib, (2) Explain the kind of code which find on
Friday sermon also related with sociocultural aspect of society, and (3) present the characteristic and special
term in Friday sermon using Javanese language. Data source collected from (1) Friday sermon events, (2)
documents, and (3) informant. Result of this research show that Javanese language usage in Friday sermon
can give good contribution to local language, especially Javanese language. Javanese language not only use
in daily communication but also using in domain of religion. The phenomenon is profoundly rife the use of
Indonesian language in Friday sermon. Therefore, suggested to use of Javanese language in Friday sermon
activity as a way to preserve the Javanese language so that doesn’t extinct. In the theoretical aspect of this
research can increase the analysis about language in generally and especially in sociological of language.
1 INTRODUCTION
Friday Sermon constitutes a discourse in religion
domain which has formal situation and sacred
background. But the sacred influenced by the
preachers as the speaker and its sociocultural society.
This makes Friday Sermon becomes an interesting
topic to be investigated from sociolinguistics aspect,
because it can sharpen the investigation to the
speakers. It is clear that both of them full of speech
contexts which covers speech components. Saddhono
(2014) in his research suprisingly stated that there
were some other things influenced in Friday Sermon
Discourse, namely the ideology where the Friday
Sermon is delivered.
There are some related studies which discussed
about Friday Sermon discourse, such as Ma’ruf
(1999), Hidayat (1999), Markhamah (2001),
Hadisaputra (2005), and Saddhono (2005; 2010;
2011; 2013a; 2014a). Those various related studies
did not discuss the typical of Friday Sermon discourse
in detail. The research of Ma’ruf (1999) only
conducted in four mosques in Yogyakarta city using
sociolinguistics approach. Meanwhile, the setting of
the research conducted by Hidayat (1999) was wider
but the investigation only limited on language
function and variation. The investigation has not been
comprehensive yet, and it focused only the preacher
and not the discourse. The structure of discourse was
not discussed and the object of study is Indonesian
language, the other languages did not become the
object of the study. Whereas, Hadisaputra (2005) only
discussed about interferences phenomenon in
Javanese language. Friday sermon discourse also
becomes the object of the study of Saddhono (2005)
which focused on micro discourse analysis and macro
structure so that it only related to the generic structure
of the Friday Sermon discourse. This research, then
was continued in 2010 which investigated Friday
sermon in linguistics perspective in Surakarta but it
limited on Javanese language.
The comprehensive research which related to
Friday Sermon discourse was conducted by
Saddhono (2011) which summarized that oral
discourse of Friday sermon constitutes one of worship
series in Friday Praying so the situation is sacred. The
situation is more strengthen with the rules of the
pillars praying and the requirements in Friday
Sermon. With these characteristics, the sermon
structure becomes typical, standard and definately.
Saddhono, K. and Rakhmawati, A.
Sociolinguistic Studies of Friday Sermon using Javanese as an Effort to Preserves Indigenous Language in Java Island.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 2, pages 189-193
ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
189

The language used were Indonesian, Arabic, Javanese
and English. There were many terms that raised as the
existence of a Friday Sermon as a register in a field or
Islamic Religion domain. In relation to the
characteristics of vocabulary usage was based on
mosque environtment, namely family, religious,
education, network, and social. Mosque environment
will have an impact on language and vocabulary in
Friday Sermon speech. Since the factors of speaker,
hearer, and topic utterances had an impact toward
language used and vocabulary. Even though Friday
Sermon has clear rules but the speech is influenced by
speaker. The speaker or preacher has freedom to
deliver the sermon with their own style but still fixed
on the rules and regulations. The main basis of this
research is the last research in which the research
correlated to Friday Sermon in Javanese and Madura
Island with Friday Sermon in Indonesian as the object
of the research using sociopragmatic as the approach
(Saddhono et al., 2016).
Every research must have previous studies as well
as this study that have been investigated. But the
recent reseacher must have novelty and the difference
to the previous studies and it must be conducted in
depth and comprehensively. The novelty of this
research is the framework in the investigation of
Javanese Friday Sermon. The existing studies only
discussed sermon discourses form language aspect so
that the discussion seem superficial and less
comprehensive. But this research used holistic
framework, Sermon discourse was analyzed from
various aspects, either internal language and external
language, and sociocultural as well as the dynamic of
heteregeneous speakers.
Hopefully, the research can generates a depth and
comprehensive theory about Friday Sermon in
Javanese language based on newest data and real
situation. During the time, the theory used to analyze
Friday Sermon discourse only limited to one
perspective so the result was less comprehensive. In
relation to those case, this research hopefully can
develop sociolinguistic theory and other deciplines,
such as antropolinguistics, relegion sociology,
cultural sociology based on research finding.
This research also tries to elaborate some existing
problems due to language use in religion domain in
relation to local language, in terms of Javanese
language. Almost 6.800 indigenous languages were
spoken in the world, and half of those languages was
stated as a concern. A half of language in the world
was officially monolingual and less than 500
languages was used and taught in school.
Unfortunately, not only indigenous language which
gradually became a concern, but the economic
sustainability of those indigenous language in
national context, slowly but sure local language will
be left behind by speakers, moreover speakers can’t
read them (illiterate) and let them suppressed in their
own local district. Now days, awareness of the
importance for maintaining local language
conservation, as well as Javanese language was
already fade away. Many societies were more proud
using foreign language since it was believed more
global and moderate. Moreover, the existence of
ASIAN community in which regional cooperation
with total market not less than 600 million, become
the motor of human, goods, services without boundary
of the country. These will be big challenge for local
language conservation. So that, high attention must
be done continuously to maintain local language and
language conservation always exists. One of the
efforts to keep this local language through language
use in religion domain which involved wider society,
as Friday Sermon.
2 METHODS
This research investigated the usage of Friday
Sermon in Javanese language based on context and
situation. This research is descriptive qualitative with
natural setting in which basically described
qualitatively in words and not numbers or statistic
(Lindlof, 1994). The object of this research is Friday
Sermon using Javanese language in Central Java and
Yogyakarta. Friday Sermon discourse using Javanese
language which is taken as the sample was the data
which has suitable with desired data from researchers
and considered too represents the whole sample. This
refers to Subroto (2007), that sample in research
constitutes a part of the population which become the
object of research. The sampling technique used in
this research is purposive sampling. The sample in
this research also called as internal sampling, in
which the researched sample represented information
and not merely because the number of the informant
which is taken from the existing population (Bogdan
and Biklen, 1982).
The data sources of this research were: (1) the
event of Friday Sermon using Javanese language in
Central Java and Yogayakarta Special region which
were recorded audiovisually; (2) Transcript
document of Friday Sermon using Javanese language
speech which has presented well so that the data
analysis can be done easier; (3) Informant and
sources which can help analysis process and enrich
this study, and (4) other events which directly or
indirectly influenced the speech of Friday Sermon
ICSE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education
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using Javanese language (Saddhono, 2013b; 2014b).
Techniques of collecting data in this research were
conducted in various ways in order to get
comprehensive data, and it made the data analysis
process run easier. Techniques of collecting data in
this research were interview, observation, and
content analysis (Strauss and Corbin, 2003).
Triangulation technique was enployed to test the data
validity (Patton, 2005), they were devided into three
techniques namely source, method and theory.
Soepomo Poedjosoedarmo (2007) states that
sociolinguistics, as the research about discourse of
Friday Sermon using Javanese language basically
constitutes contextual research. Contextual research
is research about speech form with social context that
accompanies to the occurrence of speech (Nababan,
1987; Sumarsono and Pratama, 2007; Sutopo, 2002).
In analyzing data will be considered social context in
form of speech. Speech components which is
considered in analyzing data were (1) speakers, (2)
hearers or partner, (3) speech context or context
utterances, (4) speech purpose, and (5) topic of
speech (Sudaryanto, 1995). Those five components
were chosen with consideration that Friday Sermon
using Javanese language in Central Java and
Yogyakarta Special Region. Interactive analysis
technique was also employed to analyze the collected
data, namely data reduction, data display, and
verification (Miles and Huberman, 1992).
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Overall, Friday Sermon constitutes a whole
discourse. So that, the structure of Friday Sermon can
be indentified. Friday Sermon consisted of two parts,
namely first sermon and second sermon. In Friday
Sermon, the barrier between the first sermon and the
second was marked by the preacher sit down in chair.
Each sermon consisted of opening, content and
closing. In general, first Friday Sermon consisted of
salutation utterances, the call (azan), hamdalah
saying, we believe saying (salawat), blessings
reading, will piety, Holy Qur’an reading, and praying.
Meanwhile, structure of second sermon consisted of
hamdalah saying, syahadat read, reading sholawat,
will piety reading, conclusion, and closing praying
(Saddhono, 2015).
Friday sermon in first sermon can be devided into
Sermon using Arabic and using Javanese language. In
each sermon, all preacher used Arabic language
which constitutes the pillars form Friday Sermon,
after that he used Javanese language. Each sermon
then closed with praying using Arabic. Structure of
First Friday Sermon consisted of salutation
utterances, the call (azan), hamdalah saying, we
believe saying (salawat), blessings reading, will
piety, Holy Qur’an reading, and praying. This
structure can be identified as opening, content, and its
closing. In the opening part consisted of salutation
utterances, the call (azan), hamdalah saying, we
believe saying, blessings reading, will piety. In main
part (its content) can be identified from material
which is delivered by preacher by quoting Reading
the Holy Qur’an as pillar of a Friday Sermon. In
closing part was marked by short pray reading before
preacher sit down between two sermon.
Second sermon has elements of opening, content
and closing. In second sermon was marked by reading
hamdalah, the two testimonial word or syahadat,
blessing reading, will piety. In content part, in form
of stressing in sermon material which usually
constitutes conclusion of Friday Sermon. Meanwhile,
in closing part consisted of long closing pray for
Moslem followers.
Friday Sermon constitutes a typical discourse.
Friday Sermon is different from Proselytizing and
Quran recitation. Proselytizing (Dakwah) come from
Arabic word da’wah and da’aa verb which means to
call or invite. The person who conduct the
Proselytizing or Proselytizer called as da’i.
Proselytizing (Dakwah) in Indonesian dictionary
means broadcasting religion and development costs
in the community; the call to believe, studies, and
have religion (Moeliono, 1999). So, Proselytizing
(Dakwah) in Islamic religion is conveying Islamic to
all the men and getting them to the commitment with
Islam in any condition of and where and anytime,
with specific method and means, for specific purpose.
So that, each Proselytizer will have specific typical in
accordance with his wishes because in proselytizing
the scope is given in conveying the teachings of
Islam.
Friday Sermon as a spoken discourse certainly has
characteristic language used. The emergence of
Friday Sermon register was influenced by
monolingual factors or factors out of language (Biber,
1994). The following Determinant Analysis of Friday
Sermon register used Hymes opinion (1974) which in
detail formulated with SPEAKING abbreviation, they
are (1) Setting and Scene means place and speech
situation, (2) Participants, that are speakers, (3) Ends
or speech purposes, (4) Act means main speech, (5)
Keys means speech tone, Genres or types of speech
(Suwito, 1985; Wardhaugh, 1998; Fasold, 1993;
Chaer and Agustina, 1995). Comprehension of this
speech components is important remembering that
language codes which constitutes as object of this
Sociolinguistic Studies of Friday Sermon using Javanese as an Effort to Preserves Indigenous Language in Java Island
191

research can be interpreted by closely examined and
considered social context and cultural as existing in
the concept of speech component.
Friday sermon constitutes well establised of
discourse type which was known by society. If a
preacher did not obey rules structure so he get
negative reaction from the society. In relation to this,
actually there are some basic cases that must be
considered, some of them are discourse classification
with the language function in society, that can be
differentiated into three important parts, namely (1)
type of discourse in accordance to language function
which are communicative, (2) type of discourse in
accordance to language function which are sacred,
and (3) type of discourse in accordance to language
function which are expressive. Discussion about type
of discourse often faced with border-line problems.
Type of Discourse belongs to language variation.
Type of discourse terms likened as register. Register
in Linguistic Dictionary is likened as language
variation, manner of discourse, key, keyword which
means language variations according to the different
language user, different the topics being discussed,
according to relation between speakers, partners, and
person which is spoken about, and according to
speaking media or channel (2008: 206). This type of
discourse will be different between one to another
type because the different aims of the speech when it
was delivered. The most important determinant factor
of discourse type is item, structure and determinant.
So, in approaching a certain language variation must
take two steps, they are (1) closely examined variant
form from language view, and (2) closely examined
variant form from other variant form point of view
which is used in the examining variant.
The thing which is considered in Friday Sermon
was the emergence of terms or vocabulary. Terms or
words or combination of word which are precisely
expressed certain meaning, concept, situation, or
typical nature in certain field. If it was understood
further that vocabulary in Friday Sermon can be
categorized as dialect ideology. Indonesian situation
which has various religion can have caused the
existence of language variation which is used. There
are typical terms emerged in Friday Sermon because
Friday Sermon is typical discourse.
The meant diction here are vocabularies which
appears in every mosque with different environment.
Setting of speech in sociolinguistic study strongly
determined speaker and their language (Fishman,
1997). If a speaker speaks at home will be different
when he speaks in office or mosque. Vocabularies
which appears in every place will be different as well,
such as in home, in office and in mosque. In this
research as well, the emerged vocabularies in each
mosque which based on environment even appears
differences.
Friday Sermon which held in family environment
was chosen a mosque which is located in side
Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace. This choice based on
assumption that Javanese culture still dominating
inside the palace compared to outside the palace.
Observation result shows there are many emerged
vocabularies, they are Javanese high krama which
typically archaic. The factor dominating this
phenomenon were setting, speaker and partner.
Javanese language which exists in Friday sermon
in this family environment is dominated by high
krama variation. This shows that setting strongly
have impact to preacher to choose vocabularies to be
spoken. The emerging of Javanese vocabularies
certainly also influenced by speaker who has
Javanese culture and the hearer (partners) who mostly
have Javanese culture. The topic which is spoken by
preacher also related to anything becoming society
concern. For example, in relation to the category of
human life, namely 1) happy it he world and the day
after, 2) happy in the world but miserable in the day
after, 3) miserable in the world but happy in the day
after, and 4) miserable in the world and the day after.
Friday Sermon in social enviroment existed in
mosque which is located around shooping complex
and department store, as well as located in center of
town. With this location, this place was assumed to
have society with various cultural background who
followed Friday Sermon in that mosque. In relation to
this case, the factors that determined vocabulary
usage were speaker, hearer or partner and setting. A
speaker is religious educated people, and most of
them in high level. With this background, it is
common if Arabic and Javanese vocabulary often
appears in Friday Sermon. Javanese language
variation of Ngoko and high krama also appears in
this Friday Sermon. This certainly related to speaker
culture and setting, namely Java Island.
4 CONCLUSIONS
Friday sermon constitutes discourse in religion
domain which has formal and sacred background.
But, the sacred still influenced by preacher as speaker
and the sociocultural of the society. This make Friday
Sermon interesting if it was investigated from
sociolinguistics aspect because it can sharpen the
society sociocultural and their speakers. The result of
this research shows that Javanese Language can be
used as a means to maintain local wisdom. Javanese
ICSE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education
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language in Central Java and Special Region of
Yogyakarta still used in Friday sermon, moreover in
certain places they still used archaic Javanese
language to which must be conservated.
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