Do Indonesian Speakers Feel ‘pain’? NSM and Corpus-Based Approach to the Cross-Linguistic Concept of ‘pain’ in Bahasa Indonesia

By December 19, 2024,
Page 109-121
Author Haniva Yunita Leo
Title Do Indonesian Speakers Feel ‘pain’? NSM and Corpus-Based Approach to the Cross-Linguistic Concept of ‘pain’ in Bahasa Indonesia
Abstract This study challenges the global notion of ‘pain’ by exploring the semantic nuances of pain-related concepts in Bahasa Indonesia and comparing them to English. It examines four lexemes: sakit, nyeri, pedih, and perih using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) and a corpus-based approach. The study proposes alternative definitions to address the circularity and vagueness in the Great Indonesian Dictionary. Analyses reveal distinctions in physical and emotional conceptualizations: physical sensations differ in body locus, intensity, and duration, while emotional pain-like concepts relate to social relationships and vary in triggers, duration, and reactions. This highlights significant cross-linguistic distinctions between Bahasa Indonesia and English in conceptualizing ‘pain’.
Session Talk
Keywords pain; cross-linguistic; Bahasa Indonesia; English; NSM; corpus-based approach
BibTex 
@inproceedings{euralex_2024_paper_8,
address = {Cavtat},
title = {Do Indonesian Speakers Feel ‘pain’? NSM and Corpus-Based Approach to the Cross-Linguistic Concept of ‘pain’ in Bahasa Indonesia},isbn = {978-953-7967-77-2},
shorttitle = {Euralex 2024},
url = {},
language = {eng},
booktitle = {Lexicography and Semantics. Proceedings of the XXI EURALEX International Congress},
publisher = {Institut za hrvatski jezik},
author = {Leo, Haniva Yunita},
editor = {Despot, Kristina Š. and Ostroški Anić, Ana and Brač, Ivana},
year = {2024},
pages = {109-121}
}
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