Clause Structure in the Rai Dialect of the Kaili Language: A Descriptive Syntactic Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59525/gej.1710Keywords:
Dependent, Derivation Klausa, IndependentAbstract
Language is an important element in human life because it functions as a means of communication, conveying ideas, and a medium for inheriting cultural values from one generation to the next. This study aims to describe the structure, types, and rules of word formation through derivation, as well as the differences and syntactic relationships between independent clauses (free) and dependent clauses (bound) in the Kaili language of the Rai dialect, one of the varieties of Kaili language used in the Central Sulawesi region. The research uses a qualitative descriptive method; The data was collected through the Simak and Cakap method (interviews with native speakers, natural speech recordings), then analyzed using the matching and distribution method to identify the patterns, functions, and grammatical features. The results show that independent clauses can stand on their own as complete sentences, consisting of three main types: intransitive (without objects, S-P, P-S, and variations with adverbs), transitive (having objects, the basic pattern of S-P-O and its variations), and equivocal (connecting subjects and complements, without mandatory verbs). In contrast, dependent clauses cannot stand alone, function as part of compound sentences (as complements, adverbs, or adverbs), and are usually characterized by subordinate conjunctions or suffixes that mark syntactic dependencies on the main clause. At the morphological level, derivation is the process of forming new words with different meanings and classes of words, especially through suffixes (prefixes, suffixes, circumfixes) that are commonly used in this dialect. Suffixes such as na-, po-, ma-, pa- change the verb to a noun, change the active-passive meaning, or change the category of a word, for example from an adjective to a verb; This process becomes an important means of enriching vocabulary and composing more complex sentence structures. Overall, the syntactic and morphological system of the Rai dialect exhibits the characteristics of the Kaili language: a flexible but head-beginning pattern of word order, the productive use of suffixes for the derivation and marking of relationships between clauses, and a clear distinction between independent units and those that depend on sentence structure.
References
Aifa, H. N., & Asrianti, A. (2025). Struktur Klausa Independen Bahasa Kaili Dialek Rai. Jurnal Onoma: Pendidikan, Bahasa, dan Sastra, 11(4), 112–126.
Aikhenvald, A. Y. (2022). The languages of the world. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198852885.001.0001
Arka, I. W. (2022). Balinese and Eastern Indonesian languages: Typological and syntactic perspectives. Berlin, Germany: De Gruyter Mouton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110733859
Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa. (1998). Tata Bahasa Kaili. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan.
Baker, M. C. (2022). Syntactic theory and the structure of language. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108993865
Bickel, B., & Nichols, J. (2021). Grammatical relations typology. In A. Y. Aikhenvald & R. M. W. Dixon (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of linguistic typology. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316135712
Blust, R. (2013). The Austronesian languages. Canberra, Australia: Asia-Pacific Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.15144/PL-D17
Carnie, A. (2021). Syntax: A generative introduction (5th ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Chaer, A. (2014). Linguistik Umum. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.
Comrie, B. (2023). Language universals and linguistic typology: Syntax and morphology (4th ed.). The University of Chicago Press.
Croft, W. (2022). Morphosyntax: Constructions of the world's languages. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108672456
Croft, W. (2023). Typology and universals (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108957928
Crystal, D. (2022). The Cambridge encyclopedia of language (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108528937
Dixon, R. M. W. (2024). The essence of linguistic analysis: An introduction to grammatical theory. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198906052.001.0001
Dryer, M. S. (2022). Word order. In M. Aronoff (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.013.200
Dryer, M. S., & Haspelmath, M. (Eds.). (2013). The World Atlas of Language Structures Online. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. https://wals.info
Ewing, M. C. (2021). Clause combining and information structure in Austronesian languages. Oceanic Linguistics, 60(2), 321–345. https://doi.org/10.1353/ol.2021.0015
Haspelmath, M. (2021). Understanding morphology (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429503760
Haspelmath, M., & Sims, A. D. (2023). Understanding morphology (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429503760
Hilda. (2024). Klitika Bahasa Kaili Dialek Rai [Skripsi]. Palu: Universitas Tadulako. Evans, D. (1992). Causation in Kaili. Dalam H. Steinhauer (Ed.), Languages of Sulawesi (hlm. 173–189). Jakarta: Universitas Indonesia Press.
Himmelmann, N. P. (2022). Language documentation and language description. Annual Review of Linguistics, 8, 251–271. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-linguistics-030521-042744
Khairah, M., & Ridwan, S. (2022). Sintaksis: Memahami Satuan Kalimat Perspektif Fungsi. Jakarta: Bumi Aksara.
Kridalaksana, H. (2008). Kamus Linguistik. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
Kroeger, P. R. (2022). Analyzing syntax: A lexical-functional approach (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108957744
Lehmann, C. (2021). Thoughts on grammaticalization (4th ed.). Language Science Press. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5794070
Lehmann, C. (2022). Clause linkage and grammaticalization in language evolution. Linguistics, 60(4), 921–948. https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2022-0025
Mithun, M. (2022). Clause structure and clause linkage in the world's languages. In K. Allan (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of linguistic analysis (2nd ed., pp. 489–514). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192895659.013.20
Payne, T. E. (2021). Describing morphosyntax: A guide for field linguists (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108634072
Payne, T. E. (2022). Clause structure and constituent order in language description. Linguistic Discovery, 20(1), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1349/PS1.1537-0852.A.482
Pertiwi, G., Lembah, H. G., & Ulinsa, U. (2019). Pemertahanan Bahasa Kaili Dialek Rai di Kelurahan Taipa Kecamatan Palu Utara. Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra, 5(2),
Riesberg, S. (2023). Voice, valency, and argument realization in Austronesian languages. Oceanic Linguistics, 62(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1353/ol.2023.0001
Riesberg, S., Malcher, A., & Himmelmann, N. P. (2022). Voice systems and argument structure in western Austronesian languages. Annual Review of Linguistics, 8, 151–172. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-linguistics-031220-010558
Shopen, T. (Ed.). (2023). Language typology and syntactic description: Clause structure (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316118777
Sofyan, I. A. (1979). Morfologi dan Sintaksis Bahasa Kaili. Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa.
Sofyan, I. A. (1984). Sistem Perulangan Bahasa Kaili. Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa.
Song, J. J. (2022). The Oxford handbook of linguistic typology (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198796806.001.0001
Song, J. J. (2023). Linguistic typology: Morphology and syntax across languages. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192888880.001.0001
Sudaryanto. (1993). Metode dan Aneka Teknik Analisis Bahasa. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press
Tallerman, M. (2020). Understanding syntax (5th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429462920
Ulinsa, U. (2020). Representasi Makna Verbal dan Fungsi dalam Pepatah Bahasa Kaili Dialek Rai. Semotika, 21(2), 82–92.
Van Valin, R. D. (2021). An introduction to syntax. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108569343
Van Valin, R. D., & LaPolla, R. J. (1997). Syntax: Structure, meaning and function. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139166795
Verhaar, J. W. M. (2021). Asas-asas linguistik umum (Revised ed.). Gadjah Mada University Press.
Wouk, F., & Ross, M. (Eds.). (2022). The history and typology of western Austronesian voice systems. Pacific Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.15144/PL-660
Zúñiga, F., & Kittilä, S. (2019). Grammatical voice. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316671401
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Floryasita Wulinda, Fitra Ramadhani, Haerunnisa Haerunnisa, Ira Safitri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
