Ike Revita / Jurnal Arbitrer - Vol.
7 No.
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JURNAL ARBITRER
| 2339-1162 (Prin.
| 2550-1011 (Onlin.
| Article Maxims Of Politeness Performed by Female Sellers at Traditional Market in Sumatera Barat Ike Revita1.
Sofia Marwati2.
Ainun Mardiah3.
Ayumi4 Faculty of Humanities.
Universitas Andalas.
Indonesia
Submi
1,2,3,4
ion Track Recieved: January 15, 2020 Final Revision: March 20, 2020 Available Online: April 26, 2020 Keyword Female sellers, maxims of politeness, traditional Correspondence Phone:
E-mail: ikerevita@hum.
INTRODUCTION
A B S T R A C T
This research is aimed at describing the maxims of politeness used by female sellers in a traditional market in Sumatera Barat.
The research was conducted in one tradititonal market in Sumatera Barat, namely Batu Sangkar.
The data are any utterances produced by female sellers in a traditional market in a traditional market in Batu Sangkar.
The data were taken by the observational method with note-taking, recording, and interviewing techniques.
The analysis was done by using the concept proposed by (Oktavianus & Revita, 2013.
Leech, 1.
The result of the analysis was descriptively done and used the chart.
The percentage was also used to identify the number of maxims that occurred.
Having analyzed the data, it is found that the female sellers used four maxims in their interaction with the buyers.
They are .
tact, .
agreement, and .
There are two types of agreement between the sellers and the buyers, namely using .
verbal and .
non-verbal agreement.
The nonverbal agreement is the indication of the insincerity of the sellers of the price bargained by the buyers.
The sellers do not get much profit from the price offered by the buyers.
as it is culturally transmitted over generations.
These people will become the model for the youth to be imitated in interaction and communication.
Revita .
stated that the norms and traditions of a certain community in speaking must be inherited through daily activities.
The youth will imitate and do what they see.
There is no reason to say when the youth cannot fully apply the norms of a society without any model to be emulated (Sifianou, 2.
Politeness is a kind of strategy to make the communication smooth.
Through politeness, what the speaker wants can be gained (Oktavianus & Revita, 2013.
Revita.
Trioclarise, & Anggreiny.
It can bee seen in the process of communication involving the sellers and the The polite way of the sellers will influence the buyers.
Even some buyers will buy things even though the price is high.
It is only because of the politeness (Revita.
Trioclarise, & Anggreiny.
This proves how being polite is important in order the communication can run very well.
Minangkabau is one of few cultures that still practice good teaching of politeness in behaving around people, talking to elders and market transactions as a buyer or seller, and many more.
The dominance of Minangkabau culture in West Sumatera meant that these politeness forms play a central role in the area (Hastuti.
Julianti.
Erlangga, & Oswari.
A woman, for example, is considered polite when she talks in a low tone and behave ladylike (Aminifard.
Safaei, & Askari, 2.
Even Politeness is taught by parents to their children (Revita.
Trioclarise, & Gunawan, 2.
The politeness is believed to be one of the good traits everyone should have (Kramsch, 2.
Thus, parents and adults are expected to show politeness DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
25077/ar.
Under Liscense of Creative Commons Attributioni-NonCommercial 4.
0 International.
Ike Revita / Jurnal Arbitrer - Vol.
7 No.
in Minangkabau, when educating the daughters, parents often remind them that they are girls who must behave as the girls must be.
It will be different from the education to the son that is never treated in such away.
For example, when a daughter and a son behaves wrongly, the response of their parents tend to be like in data 1-2.
Suci Erza & Hamzah, 2.
, especially in the society that concerns much on politeness.
Minangkabau, for example, puts politeness as the most crucial point in communication.
Because of this, the phenomenon of trafficking occurs because of the ability of panders in communication.
The politeness becomes the tools for these panders to camouflage the fact.
Consequently, many women became the victims of this polite way in persuading (Revita.
Trioclarise, & Anggreiny, 2017.
Kalau anak padusi ndak buliah co itu do.
Awak harus baetika.
AoAs a girl, you may not behave like that.
You must have ethics.
Ao Politeness is something regarded as positive and usually used to indicate a sincerely good attitude.
The politeness may influence the way people view .
Ondee, baa anak ibu ko.
Elok-elok kalau something, even in trading activity.
The high price duduak tu yo.
is ignored as the sellers offer their merchandise Many women omit that they prefer buying AoOh My God, what is my son.
Sit politely!Ao things to those who give good service event the There are two different forms of education daughter price is higher.
and son for a similar intention.
It is caused by the mindset of the society that females must behave Moreover, politeness can be viewed differently politely but not males (Beeching, 2.
In from the gender perspective in which a particular utterance 1, the speaker explicitly stated that the society regulates that females must behave politely hearer is a girl, and as a girl, she must have a good but very loose of men (Aydnolu, 2013.
Beeching.
It created a different attitude of males and females in viewing the world (Revita.
Trioclarise.
The way of parents teaching since early age made & Anggreiny, 2017.
It is similar to the domain of Minangkabau women tend to be careful in speaking.
the politics that hypocrisy is conducted covered by They try to be polite in speaking on every occasion.
the politeness.
Many people have been deceived the Being polite is regarded as very important because politicians due to the very polite way of persuasion it has something to do with othersAo faces (Brown, (Davidson, 2.
It is in line with the role of language as a means of communication that involve at least The above phenomena display that politeness two participants, the speaker, and the hearer.
In occurs in every domain, and being polite might give communication, there is a possibility to hurt others several impacts toward the response of the hearer.
due to language use.
People must know how to use It is closely related to how to speak pragmatically.
language politely such as in making the request.
As the study of meaning as communicated by a refusing, promising, or expressing the feeling (- & speaker .
r write.
and interpreted by a listener .
(Yule et al.
, 2.
Pragmatics also deals Tanto, 2018.
Ogiermann, 2009.
Sifianou, 2.
with context (Ike Revita, 2013.
Revita, 2008.
The aspect of politeness is not only taught by Context can be everything (Bublitz & parents to their children but also for language Norrick, 2011.
Revita, 2010.
Revita.
Trioclarise.
English, for instance, as the international & Anggreiny, 2017.
With the help of context, language is studied by many people from various communication can run smoothly because there parts of the world.
This English can become a 2nd is shared knowledge and common ground among language or foreign language for these learners.
the participants (Revita.
Trioclarise, & Anggreiny.
So, when learning English, this politeness must be transferred (Chiravate, 2011.
Ilmiani.
Dwi .
Wijayanto.
Agus .
Hikmat, 2016.
Rahmat.
Revita.
To be polite in conversational exchange.
Leech & Fitriyah, 2.
They must know the concept .
proposed six maxims of politeness.
They are of politeness from the English point of view.
maxim of tact, generosity, approbation, modesty.
Therefore, being impolite can be avoided (Culpeper, agreement, and sympathy.
Tact maxim requires Ike Revita / Jurnal Arbitrer - Vol.
7 No.
the participants to minimize the cost to others and maximize the benefit to others.
It is implemented in directive/not positive and commissive utterances.
Generosity maxim requires the participants to minimize benefits to self and maximize cost to It is expressed in directive/not positive and commissive utterances.
Approbation maxim requires the speaker to minimize dispraise to others and maximize praise to others.
It is expressed in expressive and assertive utterances.
was conducted in a traditional market in Sumatera Barat.
Batu Sangkar.
This market is located at the capital district of Tanah Datar Regency.
The visitors of the traditional market of Batusangkar are those from Tanah Datar and the area around Tanah Datar like Payakumbuh and Padang Panjang City.
Besides, domestic tourists also shop in this traditional market for traditional food.
The sellers are mostly Minangkabau people.
The uniqueness of the sellers in this market is that they sometimes In modesty maxim, the participants must minimize offer their merchandise by singing songs.
So, they praise of self and maximize the dispraise of self.
communicate rhythmically.
Female sellers mostly It is applied in assertive/ representatives and do it.
expressive like the approbation maxim.
Both The data were any utterances containing politeness the approbation maxim and the modesty maxim uttered by the female sellers when having interaction concern the degree of good or bad evaluation of with the buyers at a traditional market in Batu others or self that is uttered by the speaker.
The Sangkar.
To collect the data, observational method approbation maxim is exampled by courtesy of (Sudaryanto, 2.
with note-taking and recording On the other hand, the modesty technique was used.
The open-ended survey was maxim usually occurs in apologies.
The sample of also conducted to dig information about the use of the modesty maxim is below.
Agreement maxim politeness in the conversation.
There were around is considered as minimizing disagreement to other 23 females interviewed.
The analysis was done and maximizing agreement to others.
It applies in by using the concept proposed by (Oktavianus & symbolic speech acts.
Sympathy maxim requires Revita, 2.
and (Leech, 1.
The result of the the speaker to maximize sympathy and minimize analysis was descriptively done.
The tables and antipathy between them.
It is expressed in the charts were used to clarify information about the representative speech acts proposed by Searle.
Besides, there was a percentage involved These maxims vary from culture to culture.
What in order for the number of certain maxims, and may be considered polite in one culture may be other aspects can be displayed.
strange or rude in another.
The article is describing the politeness of the traders in selling the merchandise in the traditional market in West Sumatera.
Each market has its own uniqueness related to the politeness of the sellers.
The maxims of politeness implemented are under the objective of the research.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Being polite is expected by many people in Being polite is closely related to very good behavior (Kecskes & Kecskes, 2.
In the interaction, speaking in a polite way is appealed in the sense that others will criticize those who are Thus, in every domain, human beings try II.
METHOD
to communicate politely, such as in the interaction The appropriate choice of the strategy to have polite in the traditional market at Batu Sangkar.
Sumatera speaking is very important.
The intention to speak Barat.
politely can be interpreted impolite because of the In this traditional market, females sell their wrong choice of the use of language in conversation.
merchandise different from other traditional This research is aimed at analyzing the politeness markets.
It is due to the female consideration of used by the female sellers in selling their things politeness when having interaction with the buyers.
in the traditional market in Sumatera Barat.
The This can be seen from the maxims used by these objective of the research is to identify the maxims females.
There are four maxims of politeness used used by the female sellers in the interaction with by female sellers at the traditional market in Batu the buyers at the traditional market.
The research Sangkar.
They are maxim of tact, generosity.
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approbation, and agreement.
Seller Tact Maxim Tact maxim requires the participants to minimize the cost to others and maximize the benefit to others.
It means that in implementing the tact maxim, the speakers make the benefit and decrease the cost for the hearers.
For example.
Buyer :
Seller Buyer :
Seller Buyer :
Bara 1 kg? AoHow much is the price?Ao Sakilo 35 ribu.
AoThirty five thousand rupiahs per kilogramAo.
Tigo puluah se lah 1 kg.
Buk.
AoIs it possible to be 30.
rupiahs?Ao Ndak bisa do.
Nak.
Payah Ladonyo rancakrancak, baru-baru.
Ndak rugi gai Anak mambali sarago iko AoI cannot sell at that price.
It is difficult to find such good chili.
The chili is good.
You will not get loose buying them at this Ao Seller 45.
Uni.
(Went to the backroom and came bac.
Mode itu ciek tingga nyo.
Ni.
AoFourty five thousand rupiahs.
Sist.
This is the only model left.
Sist.
Ao Examined the product and realized they were not in good Ndak ado stok lain.
Un? AoAre there any other stocks.
Sist.
Ao Uni kan langganan awak.
ado nan labiah rancak.
Ni.
Bali se lah 40.
(Handed the buyer a box with higher pric.
AoYou are my customer.
This is a better one.
Sist.
Just pay 40 thousand rupiahs.
Ao In conversation 2, the seller tried to assure the buyer that the product she offered was qualified.
She even stressed that the buyer is her customer that must be given a better one.
Thus, she proposed a lower price than offered previously.
What she had done is fulfilling the tact maxim in which she minimized the cost to the hearer.
By saying Uni kan langganan awak.
Ko ado nan labiah rancak.
The conversation involves the female seller about Ni, the speaker is actually maximizing the benefit 40 years old with a buyer around 50 years old.
to the hearer.
The buyer wanted to buy a kilogram of chili.
The seller offered IDR 35000 for each kg.
The buyer The tact maxim does not only occur in directive regarded such a price expensive.
She then tried to intention but also in the form of assertiveness.
This have a bargain, but the seller explained why she assertive means to highlight and emphasize the could not give the same price as the buyer wanted.
information in order the buyers are interested in The seller has her own argument, not for giving the buying the merchandise offered.
price as the buyer asked.
In refusing the request of the buyer, the seller used tact maxim that she tried .
Buyer : Bara tomat sakilo.
Mak?? AoHow much is the price of to maximize the benefit to the hearer by saying tomatoes?Ao that she will be fortunate to buy her chili with the Seller : 6 ribu.
Diak.
quality and the price.
Using informative utterance.
AoSix thousand rupiahs.
Sist.
Ao the speaker applied tact maxim to maximize.
Buyer : 4 lah.
Ni.
Ambiak duo .
Buyer : Galeh ko bara salusin.
Ni? AoIs it possible to be decreased, (Pointed at a bo.
Mom.
I want to buy two kiloes.
Ao AoHow much is the price of the Seller : 11 ribulah! glasses?Ao AoI can only sell eleven thousand Ao Buyer : Tambah beko yo.
Mak.
AoGive the extra, will you?Ao Ike Revita / Jurnal Arbitrer - Vol.
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Seller and beans.
A buyer around 30 came to buy a half kilo of tomatoes.
She bargained the price offered by the seller into 2.
000 IDR.
The seller gave that price and asked the buyer to take the tomatoes by herself.
Even the quantity was enough ( a half kil.
, the seller still asked the buyer to take more tomatoes by saying Tambahlah ciek lai.
Kurang.
This utterance intended to praise the hearer and avoiding the dispraise.
The praise is explicitly stated in the proposition Tuak urang co Adiak ko bia lah balabiah pado kurang.
The speaker wanted to praise the hearer for persuading her to buy other Adiak lah langganan.
Amak labiahan beko.
AoYou are my customer.
I will add the extra.
Ao The participants were two women around 50 years The buyer wanted to buy the tomatoes.
The price offered by the seller was 6 thousand per kilos.
However, the buyer asked for a decrease because she planned to buy two kilos.
The seller then proposed 11 thousand for two kilos, which means 500 IDR per kilo.
Finally, the buyer agreed with that price, but she asked for the extra tomatoes.
The seller committed by saying that would give that extra because the buyer is her customer.
This proposition is a kind of politeness with tact maxim because the speaker is maximizing the benefit of the hearer with the utterance Adiak kan lah langganan.
Agreement Maxim Agreement maxim relates to the agreement of the speakers toward the hearers.
They avoid disagreement in the conversation.
In the conversation involving the seller and the buyer.
Modesty Maxim This agreement maxim often occurs.
This is due The approbation maxim requires the speaker to to the final conversation in this process is the minimize dispraise to others and maximize praise commitment of the price (Brown, 2.
Both the to others.
It is commonly delivered in expressive seller and the buyer commit to a certain price.
For and assertive utterances such as:
Buyer :
Seller Buyer :
Seller Buyer :
Seller Tomat bara sakilo.
Buk? AoHow much is the price of tomatoes?Ao Tomat 6.
Diak.
AoSix thousand rupiah.
Sist.
Ao Satangah 2 ribu bisa.
Buk?.
AoIs it possible to be 2 thousand for a half kilo.
Mom?Ao Ambiaklah surang! AoPlease take by yourself!Ao Satangah.
Buk.
AoA half kilo.
Mam.
Ao Tambahlah ciek lai.
Kurang.
Tuak urang co Adiak ko bia lah balabiah pado kurang.
Apo lai? Lado? AoPlease add more.
It is still lesser than half kilo.
More.
For such a lady.
I will give more and never lesser than it must be.
What do you want else? Chily?Ao Buyer :
Seller Buyer :
Seller Buyer :
Seller Buyer :
Seller Wortel bara.
Buk? AoHow much is the price of carrot?Ao Wortel 10.
AoTen thousand rupiahs.
Ao Sakilo? AoOne kilo?Ao Iyo.
AoYes.
Ao Ndak lapan se.
Buk? AoIs it possible to be 8.
000 IDR,
Mam?Ao Jan.
Ka langganan co adiak ma nio amak maha-maha.
AoNo.
To such a customer.
I will not sell at a high price.
Ao Sabana ko.
Buk? AoIs it true?Ao Iyo.
Diak.
Sabananyo.
AoYes.
Sist.
It is true.
Ao The seller is around 40 years old that was selling The buyer is around 25 years old who The seller was a woman around 60 years old.
She looked beautiful.
When the buyer bargained the was selling vegetables, like tomatoes, potatoes, price of the carrot into 8.
000 from 10.
000 per kilo.
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the seller refused.
She then said that she would not sell a very expensive carrot, especially to her customer like that lady.
That lady wanted to assure that and directly replied by the seller by saying Iyo.
Diak.
Sabananyo.
What the seller stated is a kind of agreement.
She did not say any disagreement in her utterance.
Thus, the politeness being conducted is an agreement maxim.
The non-verbal agreement is commonly used when the sellers think that they did not get many benefits from the transaction.
Still, they get profit but not as many as they expect.
In the Minangkabau language, non-verbal communication plays a very important role in delivering the message and emphasizing the intention of the speakers (Revita, 2.
It is in line with one feature of Minangkabau people in The politeness is kept being implemented by communication is delivering something indirectly Minangkabau females.
Even the interaction and implicitly (Munir, 2.
occurs in the traditional market.
Such politeness is realized by the use of three maxims of politeness.
IV CONCLUSION
They are tact, modesty, and agreement.
Maxim.
The occurrence of the maxim is various in the Being polite does not recognize the class of sense that the agreement maxim occurs at the most, speakers.
Every human being must be polite in which is 52.
5% followed by tact maxim, 27.
5%, every situation.
It even does not care about the and modesty maxim, 20 %.
This occurrence can be status or other social variables.
However, being polite is commonly emphasized to females.
Even seen in the following chart 1.
in Minangkabau, women are expected to be more polite than men.
It is implanted from an early age.
The girls are taught how to behave politely and strictly but not to the boy.
It is then continued till they get older.
Wherever they are, these women consider being polite, including in selling in the traditional market.
The female sellers in the traditional market still use the polite way of speaking.
It is reflected in the implementation of the maxim of politeness.
least, there are three maxims of politeness used by the female sellers in the process of transaction in the traditional market.
They are tact, modesty, and The other three maxims, as proposed by Leech .
, is not found yet.
A limited number of data might cause it.
When the research is conducted longer, there possibly other maxims found.
Fig.
The Occurrence of Maxim of Politeness by Female Sellers at Traditional Market The other three maxims, like sympathy, generosity, and approbation, were not used by the female sellers in the traditional market yet.
It is interpreted that the speakers need to focus on the agreement by using persuasion through the previous three.
Thus, the buyers will buy their merchandise.
The highest Moreover, the research about politeness is not only limited to being conducted to the female sellers but occurrence of agreement maxim indicates it.
also the male ones in the transaction.
The maxims The agreement maxim is also divided into two.
The could be different when being used by the sellers in first is indicated by the use of verbal utterance like the modern market.
Thus, further research related yoAjadih, dih, or ndak baa do.
The second is the nonto politeness can be continued.
The object must be verbal agreement marked by nodding the head or very various in the language use.
other body gestures, like just silent or say nothing.
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REFERENCES