This paper attempts to investigate the role of the Parebasan (Madurese proverb) as a cultural marker of identity for the Madurese community. The Parebasan is a traditional lingual expression of the Madurese which reflects the character of the people, their behaviors, thoughts, cultural identity and communication. This qualitative study focuses onethnolinguistic and textual analysis approaches. The Madurese community chosen for the research is from the Sumenep Regency of the Madura Island. A content analysis approach was used to systematically examine written texts and ethnolinguistic data; following the research procedure, the analysis of the complex data sets was carried out by using a cultural hermeneutic model. The findings showed that through the use of the traditional lingual expression of the Madurese gives shapes to their cultural identity and forms the way they communicate. Handed down from one generation to the next, the wisdom words of the Parebasan have been used to convey messages through formal and non-formal learning in daily contexts such as advice, satire, praise and humility. The Parebasan is the authentic tool that provides an insight into the Madurese way of life, as they convey certain patterns of expressions, revealing important lessons and meanings. This research study is important to achieve an in-depth understanding of the Madurese people, especially their characters and norms of behaviors as contributing factors towards the development of the Madurese cultural identity and communication for the future generation.
Volume 11 | 05-Special Issue
Pages: 846-857