The Semantic Analysis of Surface Structure and Deep Structure in the Lyrics of the South

Sulawesi Regional Song "Anak Kukang" By Bora Dg Irate

Andi Astrid Annisa

Universitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar. andiastri150903@gmail.com

Abstract
This article was created by researchers with the aim of providing readers with understanding and
knowledge of the meaning of the South Sulawesi regional song entitled "Anak Kukang". The
fundamental theory that underlies the entire content of this article is that proposed by Noam Comsky
1975, regarding Transformational Generative Grammar. There are many meanings that can be
analyzed in the lyrics of the song "Anak Kukang" because this song is in Makassar language, the
author in this case, made an analysis to find out the meaning in each sentence based on semantic
science, especially in the field of "Deep Structure and Surface Structure".

Keywords : Semantic, Transformational Generative Grammar, Deep Structure and Surface Structure.

Abstrak
Artikel ini dibuat oleh peneliti dengan tujuan memberikan pembaca pemahaman dan pengetahuan
pada makna lagu daerah Sulawesi Selatan yang berjudul “Anak Kukang”. Teori mendasar yang
melandasi keseluruhan isi artikel ini adalah yang dikelumkakan oleh Noam Comsky 1975, tentang
Transformational Generative Grammar. Ada banyak makna yang dapat dianalisis pada lirik lagu
“Anak Kukang” karna lagu ini berbahasa makassar, penulis dalam hal ini, membuat analisis untuk
mengetahui makna dalam setiap kalimat berdasarkan ilmu semantic, khususnya pada bidang ilmu
“Deep Structrure and surface Structure”.

Keywords : Semantic, Transformational Generative Grammar, Deep Structure and Surface Structure.

INTRODUCTION
Language in the study of linguistics is defined as one of the tools humans use to communicate. To
enable humans to communicate, humans must have 5 knowledge, including knowledge about the
sound system (phonology), word system (morphology), grammar system (syntax), meaning system
(semantics) and cultural system. Communication is defined as the process of conveying messages
from one person to another. The 3 pillars of communication are, speaker, listener and message.
Language is a medium of human communication that is conveyed verbally or in writing. Humans
communicate in two ways, through language and through sign systems. Over time, language has had
its own scientific discipline called linguistics. In Linguistics, the study of linguistics is discussed in
detail.
Semantics is the science that studies the meaning or sense in words or sentences. The field of
Semantics studies various forms of differences in interpreting words or sentences, one of the semantic
theories related to the meaning of sentences was put forward by Noam Chomsky 1957 put forward a
theory called "Transformational Generative Grammar" which provides a connection between these
two parts and focuses on the distinction between Deep Structure and Surface Structure.
Transformational grammar assigns a "deep structure" and a "surface structure" to show the
relationship of such sentences. The deep structure is the abstract structure that allows the native
speaker of a language to know what the sentence means. Deep structure refers to concepts, thoughts,
ideas & feelings. Meanwhile, the surface structure is actually produced structure.
Song, is a form of expression to show life, or feelings within oneself, how many songs have
different meanings that have been created to adorn the listener's ears, to sort out the type of song they
like. One of the songs that the author took as a reference in writing this article is a regional song from
South Sulawesi, entitled "Anak Slow Loris" which was created by Bora Dg. Irate. This song has a
deep meaning about the life of an orphan who has a sad fate, because he was abandoned by his
parents. This Slow Loris Child's Song was the inspiration for the writer to analyze its meaning more
deeply using the study of Semantic science with Noam Chomsky's theory on Transformational
Generative Grammar "Deep and surface Structure".

METHOD

This research uses a qualitative method, where data has been collected from various references on the
internet, analyzed and explained in the form of words. The author chose to use this method, because
the data to be analyzed is also in the form of words or sentences, so the form of analysis is explained
in a more detailed form to provide clarity and understanding of each sentence in the form of "Deep
Structure and Surface Structure". Data in the form of the lyrics South Sulawesi regional song entitled
"Anak Kukang" was obtained by researchers via the internet, as well as the form of translation.
Analysis of each piece of song lyrics was explained by researchers through various adequate reference
sources, the most important of which was the material in the course "Semantics and Pragmatics”
taught by Mr.Subhan Rahmat S.Pd.M.Pd. The author in this research aims to make it easier for
readers to understand the lyrics of the song "Anak Kukang" by looking at the Semantic Deep
Structure and Surface Structure analysis.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Based on data that researchers have collected from various references, researchers present a form of
data analysis to look at the Deep Structure and Surface Structure in each sentence in the lyrics of the
song "Anak Slow Loris". Following are the lyrics along with the form of analysis in the form of Deep
Structure and Surface Structure.

Kukanga Tunipela
I’am an orphan who was thrown away

N Det N N Aux V Adj

NP NP VP Adj.P
Deep Strucuture :
I’am = pronoun,animate,human.
an orphan = noun,animate, human,people,do not have parents or their parents die.
thrown away = verb,action, dumped,abandoned.

Surface Structure :NP.NP.VP.Adj.P

Kunibuang ri tamparang
I was thrown into the sea

N Aux V Prep Det N

NP VP PP NP
Deep Structure :
i = pronoun,animate,human.
was thrown = verb,action, dumped,abandoned.
the sea = noun,inanimate, full of water, where marine animals live, swimming place, a place
to fish and catch marine animals, where ships sail.

Surface Structure : NP.VP.PP.NP

Kunianyukang ri je’ne
I was swept away in the water

N Aux V Adj Prep Det N

NP VP Adj.P PP NP
Deep Structure :
i = pronoun,animate,human.
swept away = verb,action, dragged,sink.
water = noun, inanimate,fluid, human needs.

Surface Structure = NP.VP.Adj.P.PP.NP

Narappung tau maraeng

I was picked up by someone else

N Aux Adj Prep N Adv

NP VP PP NP
Deep Structure :
i = pronoun,animate,human.
picked up = verb,act, obtained,take.
someone else = noun,animate,human,people,stranger.

Surface Structure : NP.VP.PP.NP

Ca’di-ca’di dudu inja

When i was still a child

Conj N aux adv det N

 VP Adv.P NP
Deep Structure :
i = pronoun,animate,human.
still = adv, past.
a child = noun,animate, human,small body,cute.

Surface Structure : VP.Adv.P.NP

Nanapelaka anrongku
My mother threw me away

N N V N Adj

NP VP Adj.P
Deep Structure :
my = pronoun,animate,human.
mother = noun,animate,woman,have a children.
threw me = verb, abandoned.
away = adv, far, distant.

Surface Structure : NP.VP.Adj.P

Mantang mama kale kale

I live alone

N V Adv

NP VP
Deep Structure :
i = pronoun, animate, human.
live = v1,stay,exist.
alone = adv, private, by one self, individual.
Surface Structure : NP.VP

Tu’guru’ je’ne matangku

My tears fall

N N V

NP VP
Deep Structure :
My = pronoun, animate, human.
tears = noun, inanimate, water that fall from human’s eyes.
fall = v1, go down,drop

Surface Structure : NP.VP

Aule, Sare-sarena ikukang, sayang

Oh, What a pity for orphans

Interj N Det N Prep N

NP NP
Deep structures :
pity = miserable,sad,wretched
orphans = noun,animate, human,people,do not have parents or their parents die.

Surface Structures : NP.NP

Sare tea takucini’

A fate that i don’t wan’t to feel

det N c N aux V prep V

 NP NP VP VP
Deep Structures :
fate = noun,inanimate,destiny, God’s plan.
don’t want = verb, refuse,deny,reject.
to feel = verb, find, go through, facing, encounter.

Surface Structure : NP.NP.VP.VP

Empo tena mate’neku

Not in happiness

Adv Prep N

Adv.P

Deep Structure :
not = adv, negative (-)
in = prep
happiness = noun,inanimate,luck,joy.fortune.
Surface Structure : Adv.Phrase

CONCLUSION
Based on the semantic analysis of "deep structure and surface structure" in the lyrics of the song
"Anak Kukang" which are divided into 11 sentences, it can be seen that each sentence in the song
lyrics has a meaning that can be seen or can be seen by humans. This meaning in linguistics is studied
in the field of Semantics. Noam Chomsky 1957 put forward a theory called "Transformational
Generative Grammar" which provides a connection between these two parts and focuses on the
distinction between Deep Structure and Surface Structure. Transformational grammar assigns a "deep
structure" and a "surface structure" to show the relationship of such sentences. The deep structure is
the abstract structure that allows the native speaker of a language to know what the sentence means.
Deep structure refers to concepts, thoughts, ideas & feelings. Meanwhile, the surface structure is
actually produced structure. It refers to the sentence as it is pronounced or written. The Lyrics of
“Anak Kukang” song, as a whole, means an orphan who has a sad fate, and is abandoned by his
parents. The orphan does not have happiness because the orphan thinks his fate is bad. The orphan in
the song is told of being picked up and pitied by other people.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to express his thanks to Mr. Subhan Rahmat, S.P.d.M.P.d as a lecturer in the
course "Semantics and Pragmatics" who has provided explanations and assistance to complete the
writing of this article, and to friends who have supported and helped in working on this article. The
author apologizes for any shortcomings, and hopes that this article can be useful for readers.

REFERENCES

Ruth,M.Kempson. Semantic Theory.

https://books.google.la/books?id=nPRAUZvxaS8C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://musikdanlyrics.blogspot.com/2015/09/lirik-lagu-anak-kukang-beserta-artinya.html

https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anak_Kukang#:~:text=Anak%20Kukang%20adalah%20lagu%2
0daerah,ini%20diciptakan%20oleh%20Bora%20Dg.

https://www.slideshare.net/subramanianmani7796/deep-structure-and-surface-structurepptx

Muhammad Iqbal Iskandar, tirto.id - 9 Sep 2022.https://tirto.id/lirik-lagu-anak-kukang-yang-

berasal-dari-daerah-sulawesi-selatan-gvMu#google_vignette