HOW TO MAP THE MEANING OF “SEE” IN KUPANG MALAY

Abstract

Lexicon ‘See’ as an English verb that means ‘perceive with the eyes’has different form of
lexicon and different semantics meaning in Kupang Malay Language (KML). The lexicons
that refer to ‘see’ are ‘lia’,‘loti’,‘malerok’, ‘maloi’ and‘pe’emata’. Those five lexicons have
their own meaning. In order to understand those words deeply, such matters were analysed
by a study using Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) theory.By applying descriptive
qualitative method and paraphrase/ explication technique, the slightly different semantic
features of ‘lia’,‘loti’,‘malerok’, ‘maloi’ and‘pe’emata’ can be comprehensively revealed.