ECOLOGICAL REPRESENTATIONS IN THE MARINE LEXICON OF THE MADURA COASTAL COMMUNITY

Abstract

Marine lexicons have reflected the ecological knowledge and cultural identity of coastal communities; however, studies examining their ecological representation within the Madurese coastal community remained limited. This study aimed to analyze the ecological representation of marine lexicons used by the Madurese coastal community through Haugen’s ecolinguistic perspective. A qualitative descriptive method was employed using observation, interviews, documentation, and note-taking techniques. The collected data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings identified 102 marine lexicons representing the relationship between language and the coastal environment. The analysis revealed that the lexicons reflected three ecolinguistic parameters: interrelationship, environment, and diversity. The interrelationship parameter showed that the lexicons were formed based on observations of physical characteristics, fishing techniques, and natural phenomena. The environment parameter demonstrated the integration of physical and social environments through marine resources, fishing activities, and coastal traditions. Meanwhile, the diversity parameter indicated the dominance of biotic lexicons alongside abiotic elements related to seasons, winds, fishing equipment, and maritime activities. These findings suggested that marine lexicons functioned not only as linguistic units but also as representations of ecological knowledge, local wisdom, and the cultural identity of the Madurese coastal community. These findings contribute to Indonesian Language and Literature studies by enriching ecolinguistic research and providing linguistic documentation that supports the preservation of local language and ecological knowledge.