CONSTRUCTING BEAUTY IN BUGIS ATTRACTION MANTRAS: A MULTILEVEL ETHNOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF CENNINGRARA RITUAL LANGUAGE

Abstract

This study examines the construction of cultural meaning, particularly the concept of beauty, in Cenningrara mantras of the Bugis community through a multilevel ethnolinguistic approach. The mantras are understood as ritual language functioning as a symbolic system and performative acts embedded in social practice and cultural interaction. The study employs a qualitative ethnolinguistic design integrating multilevel linguistic analysis (lexical, phrasal, and sentential levels), performative analysis based on speech act theory, and semiotic analysis grounded in Peircean theory. The data consist of eight mantra texts collected through fieldwork with five Bugis informants in Sarang Tiung, South Kalimantan, derived from oral elicitation and practitioners’ written notes and cultural documentation. Validity is ensured through triangulation and member checking techniques. The findings reveal layered meaning construction across linguistic levels, where beauty emerges as a multidimensional construct integrating physical, social, symbolic, and spiritual dimensions, highlighting the significant role of ritual language in shaping perception, emotion, and social relations.