The Study of Eco-lexicons in The Identification of Marine Ornamental Fish in Indonesia

Authors

  • Ashari P Swondo

    English and Literature Department, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia

    English Education Department, University of Potensi Utama, Medan 20241, Indonesia
  • Sumarsih

    English and Literature Department, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia
  • Fahri Haswarni

    English and Literature Department, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia
  • Amrin Saragih

    English and Literature Department, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.9871
Received: 5 May 2025 | Revised: 26 May 2025 | Accepted:7 August 2025 | Published Online: 30 September 2025

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the ecolexicons of marine ornamental fish among fishermen in the Banyak Islands, Indonesia, focusing on naming conventions and their cultural significance. Using qualitative methods and ecolinguistic theory supported by semantic analysis, the research identifies 58 ecolexicons, categorized into groups such as anemonefish, surgeonfish, and butterflyfish. Data were collected through purposive and snowball sampling, with local fishermen as key informants. Findings reveal five naming criteria: resemblance (62%), distinctive features (31%), inventor/maker (9%), place of origin (9%), abbreviation (2%), and newly coined terms (7%). Notably, novel criteria emerged, including fish life stage, size, pidginization, and hybrid naming systems, prompting a reevaluation of Chaer's Inquisitive Semantics theory. The predominance of resemblance and distinctive traits in naming reflects the community's observational precision and ecological familiarity. The lexical choices are deeply rooted in cultural philosophy, expressed through ideological (conservatism), sociological (community norms), and biological dimensions. These interconnected influences shape how fishermen name and perceive marine life, reinforcing their bond with the local ecosystem. This study contributes to ecolinguistics by documenting unique naming practices and their sociocultural underpinnings, offering insights into how language encodes environmental knowledge. The findings underscore the importance of preserving indigenous lexicons as part of ecological and cultural heritage.

Keywords:

Language; Ecolinguistics; Eco-lexicons; Marine Ornamental Fish and Qualitative

References

[1] Mohamad, N., 2022. Smart Fisheries for Sustainable Fisheries in Indonesia: A Study of Sardine Fishery in the Bali Strait [Doctoral dissertation]. Future University Hakodate: Hakodate, Japan.

[2] Kurniawan, T., 2019. The Marine Ecolexicon in Batubara Malay in the Millennial Generation in Dahari Selebar Village, Talawi District, Batubara Regency [Bachelor Thesis]. Universitas Sumatera Utara: North Sumatra, Indonesia. Available from: http://repositori.usu.ac.id/handle/123456789/14837 (cited 25 April 2023). (in Indonesian)

[3] Haugen, E., 1972. The Ecology of Language. Stanford University Press: Stanford, CA, USA.

[4] Nash, J., Mühlhäusler, P., 2014. Linking language and the environment: the case of Norfolk and Norfolk Island. Language Sciences. 41, 26–33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2013.08.004

[5] Yuniawan, T., Rokhman, F., Rustono, R., et al., 2017. The Study of Critical Eco-Linguistic in Green Discourse: Prospective Eco-Linguistic Analysis. Jurnal Humaniora. 29(3), 291. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/jh.27441

[6] Aryanegara, I., 2015. Fish Naming by the Fishing Community in Depok Beach: An Ethnolinguistic Study [Bachelor Thesis]. Universitas Gadjah Mada: Yogyakarta, Indonesia. (in Indonesian)

[7] Aminuddin, A., 2001. Semantics: An Introduction to the Study of Meaning. Sinar Baru Algesindo: Bandung, Indonesia. (in Indonesian)

[8] Tarigan, H.G., 2009. Semantic Teaching. Angkasa: Bandung, Indonesia. (in Indonesian)

[9] Chaer, A., 2007. Indonesian Lexicology & Lexicography. Rineka Cipta: Jakarta, Indonesia. (in Indonesian)

[10] Leech, G., Cruickshank, B., Ivanic, R., 2001. An AZ of English Grammar and Usage. Longman: London, UK.

[11] Chaer, A., 2013. Introduction to Indonesian Semantics. Rineka Cipta: Jakarta, Indonesia. (in Indonesian)

[12] Lindø, A.V., Bundsgaard, J. (eds.), 2000. Dialectal Ecolinguistics: Three Essays for the Symposium 30 Years of Language and Ecology in Graz, December 2000. University of Odense: Odense, Denmark.

[13] Moleong, L.J., 2017. Methods of Qualitative Research. Remaja Rosdakarya Offset: Bandung, Indonesia. (in Indonesian)

[14] Djajasudarma, T.F., 2006. Linguistic Methods: Approaches to Research Methods and Studies. Eresco: Bandung, Indonesia. (in Indonesian)

[15] Fill, A., Mühlhäusler, P., (eds.) 2001. The Ecolinguistics Reader: Language, Ecology and Environment. Continuum: London, UK. Available from: https://linguisticstudentindonesia.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/alwin-fill-peter-muhlhausler-the-ecolinguistics-reader_-language-ecology-and-environment-2001.pdf (cited 15 March 2024).

[16] Bundsgaard, J., Steffensen, S., 2000. The Dialectics of Ecological Morphology. In: Lindo, A.V., Bundsgaard, J. (eds.). Dialectal Ecolinguistics: Three Essays for the Symposium 30 Years of Language and Ecology in Graz. University of Odense: Odense, Denmark. pp. 435–448.

[17] Si, A., Kyawphyo, A., 2023. Patterns in fish naming ability in two fishing communities of Myanmar. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 19(1), 34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-023-00610-7

[18] Hidayati, S., Franco, F.M., Abdul Ghani, B.A., et al., 2022. Folk fish names are condensed forms of traditional knowledge: Case study with the Vaie people of Sarawak, Malaysia. In: Franco, F.M., Knudsen, M., Hassan, N.H. (eds.). Case Studies in Biocultural Diversity from Southeast Asia (Asia in Transition, Vol. 19). Springer: Singapore. pp. 227–258. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6719-0_8

[19] Ha, C., 2023. The year's work in ecolinguistics 2022. Journal of World Languages. 9(2), 231–252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jwl-2023-0001

[20] Chaer, A., 2009. General Linguistics. Rineka Cipta: Jakarta, Indonesia. (in Indonesian)

[21] Bang, J.C., Døør, J., 1993. Eco-Linguistics: A Framework. In: Bang, J.C., Døør, J., Alexander, R. (eds.). Ecolinguistics —Problems, Theories and Methods: Papers for the symposium Ecolinguistics—The International Association of Applied Linguistics: AILA '93 Amsterdam. University of Trier: Odense, Denmark. pp. 21–30.

[22] Stibbe, A., 2015. Ecolinguistics: Language, Ecology and the Stories We Live By. Routledge: London, UK.

[23] Crystal, D., 2000. Language Death. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

[24] Kravchenko, A.V., 2024. Language awareness: On the semiotics of talk and text. Language Sciences. 105, 101659. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2024.101659

[25] Bang, J.C., Trampe, W., 2014. Aspects of an ecological theory of language. Language Sciences. 41, 83–92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2013.08.009

Downloads

How to Cite

Swondo, A. P., Sumarsih, Haswarni, F., & Saragih, A. (2025). The Study of Eco-lexicons in The Identification of Marine Ornamental Fish in Indonesia. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(10), 868–880. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.9871

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 10 (October 2025)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2025 Ashari P Swondo, Sumarsih, Fahri Haswarni, Amrin Saragih

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.