Language and Culture: Kinship System of Batak Toba-Samosir Ethnic

Abstract

The statement that structure of a language determines the way in which the speakers of that language view the world is still debatable. In relation to this, the objectives of this study are: (1) to describe how Batak Toba-Samosir ethnic create the kinship system, especially the terms of address, (2) to describe the use of terms of address in Batak Toba-Samosir ethnic, and (3) to analyze the terms of address semantically fit into Indonesian language.
The result of the study shows that the kinship system was created based on blood, marga (family name) and the relationship in the society. The terms of address of Batak Toba-Samosir were used by Batak people when they speak among themselves using Batak language or Indonesian. Sometimes they also use the terms of address when they speak to other ethnics. Semantically, some of the terms of address can be analyzed but some do not. In short, they create them arbitrary. Besides, other ethnics sometimes use the terms of address inappropriately because they make an analogy to Indonesian language, and consequently it breaks the communication.