Existence in Transmigrant Area: Attitude and Patterns of The Lampung Within the Javanese Community of Margodadi

Abstract

This study investigates language attitudes and patterns of Lampung language use in Margodadi Village, Jati Agung District, South Lampung Regency, a transmigrant area dominated by Javanese ethnic communities. Using a qualitative descriptive approach within a sociolinguistic case study framework, data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires involving 30 respondents. The findings reveal a sociolinguistic paradox: although the Lampung language is strongly valued as a core symbol of ethnic identity and cultural pride, its actual use is increasingly restricted. The Lampung language remains actively used mainly within the domestic domain, particularly in vertical interactions with parents and older family members, while its presence in social, public, and economic domains has been largely replaced by Indonesian and Javanese. A noticeable intergenerational gap was identified, with children aged 10–14 showing a strong tendency to shift toward Indonesian as their primary language. Despite this functional decline, community attitudes toward the Lampung language remain highly positive, indicating strong ideological loyalty. The emergence of the Muli Meghanai Margodadi (M3) community demonstrates a grassroots effort to revitalize the Lampung language by reintroducing it into public and cultural domains. This study concludes that the main threat to the Lampung language in Margodadi Village lies not in negative attitudes, but in the sociolinguistic ecology of a heterogeneous transmigrant environment, highlighting the importance of community-based revitalization initiatives.