An analysis of Minangkabau woman’s expression of anger in Kaba Minangkabau

Kaba Minangkabau is a form of folklore that reflects the society and customs of the Minangkabau people. This literary work conveys deep teachings about various aspects of community life, including education, language, customs, responsibilities, and social issues. This study focuses on Minangkabau women, who are the central figures of the matrilineal system of Kaba Minangkabau. It highlights their crucial role in maintaining behavioural and linguistic norms in society, particularly in expressing and controlling anger through language. Using speech act theory, this research examines the unique qualities and values of Minangkabau women's expressions of anger, specifically in the literary works Kaba Sabai Nan Aluih (1961) and Kaba Siti Baheram (1964). The study employs a descriptive-qualitative approach, analysing the form, meaning, and psychopragmatic aspects of these expressions. It considers the factors influencing speech acts and evaluates the intensity of the anger expressed. The analysis, which was then validated by an expert, revealed 30 expressions of anger in the texts. The findings suggested that Minangkabau women predominantly use direct and literal speech acts to convey anger, though some indirect and non-literal expressions are also present. Each expression's meaning is analysed both textually and contextually. From a psychopragmatic perspective, this study sheds light on the linguistic, cultural, gender, and religious dimensions of Minangkabau society. The research provides new insights into anger management and offers a framework to help young Minangkabau women manage their expressions of anger while adhering to the gender, cultural, and religious norms of Minangkabau customs, as illustrated in the two Kaba Minangkabau texts. Additionally, this study contributesin developing new guidelines for language research, particularly in the realm of psychopragmatics and textual analysis.