A prosodic analysis of emotional expressions in Langkat Malay speech

• Published in: Indonesian journal of applied linguistics Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 184 - 194
• Main Author: Erwina, Emmy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 31-05-2024
• ISSN: 2301-9468; 2502-6747
• DOI: 10.17509/ijal.v14i1.70392

Emotional prosody is the paralinguistic elements of language that interact with verbal content to express emotion. It also demonstrates the complex relationship between voice expression and emotional experience, highlighting the depth to which humans can express complex emotions beyond words. This qualitative study investigated the prosodic features associated with the emotional expression of anger in Langkat Malay speech. It focused on variations in pitch, loudness, and tempo among speakers from different socio-economic backgrounds. The aims are to explain how emotions are encoded in speech; and to highlight the influence of cultural and social contexts on emotional expression through prosody. This study employed a qualitative method. The data were collected from 40 native Langkat Malay speakers, divided evenly between individuals from the nobility and the general populace, encompassing a range of ages from 20 to 50 years. The samples were collected, processed, and analyzed using Praat software. The study then looked at the prosodic aspects of emotional speech in terms of its acoustic characteristics. The results showed that louder, faster tempos, and higher pitches are used to indicate anger. The study also found differences between the socioeconomic classes, with the nobles exhibiting more intense and intricate pitch contours in their angry reactions than the ordinary public. It can be concluded that within the Langkat Malay group, cultural and socioeconomic influences modulate prosodic aspects of emotional manifestation. This study is expected to disclose implications for speech therapy, language instruction, and the creation of emotionally intelligent artificial intelligence systems. It will also likely highlight the significance of taking cultural differences into account when studying emotional prosody.