Dialek Melayu Hulu Kedah: satu analisis Sinkronik dan Diakronik

Malay dialects exhibit considerable complexity due to various influencing factors, particularly geographical features such as hilly terrains and dense tropical forests. These physical barriers have historically limited contact and communication between regions, contributing to the development of distinct dialects that often correspond to political boundaries. Previous studies have predominantly used administrative divisions, such as Kedah, Perlis, Penang, and Perak, as the primary framework for dialect classification. In this context, political entities function as heuristic tools for grouping dialects. However, viewing dialects as a continuum challenges the assumption that linguistic boundaries align precisely with political borders. Given these limitations, there is a clear need for research that employs more empirical and data-driven methodologies. The study aims to describe the phonological system, reconstruct the dialectal phonology, analyze phonological processes, and identify shared innovations and retentions to support internal classification. The interview method was employed, utilizing a wordlist of 643 lexical items and recorded conversations with native speakers. The collected data were subsequently analysed within a diachronic dialectological framework, focusing on the description of shared innovations and retentions, as well as comparative analyses between dialects. Several phonological innovations and retentions highlight two key points. First, the Malay dialect of Baling is distinct from the Northern Peninsular Malay dialect branch; in other words, it is not a subdialect of the standard Kedah dialect. Second, because the Baling Malay dialect differs from its traditionally assumed parent dialect and shares similarities with neighboring Malay dialects, it constitutes a separate and distinct branch. This branch is referred to as the Hulu Northern Peninsular Malay dialect branch. The significance of this finding indirectly challenges the prevailing perspective on the classification of Peninsular Malay dialects, which traditionally treats dialects within each state as distinct entities. Moreover, this discovery makes a meaningful contribution to the field of dialectology in Malaysia