The Meaning Negotiation in the Batak Toba Wedding Speech

Abstract

This study is about the negotiation of meaningbetween a speaker and a listener. It is realized by the system of logico-semantic relation in the Batak Toba wedding speeches. The native speakers of the Batak Toba language use the logico-semantic relations of the clause simples in the clause complexes to create this function. Theproblems explored are the variations of that relationto negotiate some experiences in thatwedding speech. The analytical framework used to reveal out the pattern of the phenomenonis the systemic functional linguistic theories. This study is categorized as a descriptive qualitative research design for the description and explanation of the phenomenon. The data is collected and analyzedby following the concept of the concurrent activities of a naturalistic researcher. The findings indicate that the Batak Toba people use some specific variations of logico-semantic relation in the Batak Toba traditional wedding ceremony to negotiate the propositions of future harmonic house-hold life and the proposal of future of-spring, prosperity, dignity, and the health of the wed.