Semantic Categorization of Hobar in Angkola Batak Wedding Ceremonies

Abstract

This study examines the semantic categorization, meaning construction, and cultural values of hobar, the institutionalized ritual speech performed in Angkola Batak wedding ceremonies in Padangsidimpuan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Employing the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) framework, this study analyses hobar utterances through universal semantic primitives to reveal their culturally embedded meanings and communicative functions. The findings identify four major categories of hobar: (1) Expressive, including apology, respect, and gratitude; (2) Evaluative, represented by praise and positive assessment; (3) Directive, including commands, suggestions, hopes, prayers, and prohibitions; and (4) Commissive, including promises and negotiations. These categories are structured through semantic components such as SAY, WORD, PERSON, SOMETHING, GOOD, BAD, WANT, and THINK, and are realized within the kinship relations of the dalihan na tolu system. The study reveals that hobar functions not merely as verbal interaction but as a cultural mechanism that regulates social relations, maintains adat obligations, and transmits collective values. A significant ethnopragmatic finding is the anticipatory apology meaning encoded in the ritual expression sattabi sappulu, which reflects politeness, humility, and respect before speaking in an adat context. This study contributes a systematic semantic and cultural representation of hobar, supporting the documentation and preservation of Angkola Batak oral heritage.