Ecological Metaphors in the Lontar manuscript of the Megantaka folklore: An ecolinguistics analysis

This study investigates the ecological metaphors used in the lontar manuscript of the Megantaka folklore of the Sasak tribe in Indonesia. Using an ecolinguistic approach and referring to Halley’s ecological metaphor categories, the data were collected from the Lontar manuscript and analysed using the Metaphor Identification Method (MIP). The findings revealed that the metaphors belong to several categories: 1) the ‘being’ category used in Tembang Sinom and Tembang Dandang, 2) the ‘cosmos’ category appearing in Tembang Durma, Tembang Pangkur, and Tembang Dandang, 3) the ‘energy’ category in Tembang Asmaradana, Tembang Durma, and Tembang Pangkur, 4) the ‘substance’ category in Tembang Durma, 5) the ‘terrestrial’ category in Tembang Durma, Tembang Pangkur, and Tembang Dandang, 6) the ‘object’ category in Tembang Sinom, Tembang Asmaradana, Tembang Pangkur, and Tembang Dandang, 7) the ‘living’ category in Tembang Durma, Tembang Pangkur, and Tembang Dandang, and 8) the ‘animate’ category in Tembang Durma, Tembang Pangkur, and Tembang Dandang. This study is essential for preserving local wisdom, providing an overview of social and cultural life in the past, and serving as material for community reflection in strengthening the national character. This study reflects the ecological conditions of language users and provides insights into the social and cultural lives of the Sasak people.