Dehumanization in Javanese metaphorical insults

บทคัดย่อ

This study employs a descriptive-analytical qualitative method to investigate the
utilization of metaphorical insults in the Javanese language through the perspective
of social semantics with regard to dehumanization. Metaphorical insults that
compare humans with non-humans have metaphorical implications. The research
aims to understand the emotional connotations of insults that associate humans
with non-human entities, such as anger, hatred, or even closeness. The findings
demonstrate that insults referencing animals are often employed as curses, based
on the nature of the animal in question. Additionally, the study reveals that insults
referencing inanimate objects are rooted in their functions, values, or negative
qualities. Furthermore, the study posits that metaphorical insults referencing plants
or plant parts tend to be based on the perceived value or qualities of the plant,
the change of a certain plant’s form, as well as disproportionate juxtaposition.
These insults referencing plants can be considered as a new form of dehumanization.
The study concludes that metaphorical insults constitute a soft form of symbolic
violence in Javanese society, perpetuated through language as a cultural and
social practice wherein one individual exerts dominance over another.