Examining “Code-Switching in Wayang Cenk Blonk”, Doctoral Program in Linguistics at Faculty of Humanities

• Posted by: Admin
• Jumat, 25 September 2026
• Has been read 12 time(s)

On Friday, September 25, 2026, the Doctoral Program in Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Udayana once again produced a new doctor through an Open Examination Session held at the Dr. Ir. Soekarno Meeting Room, Poerbatjaraka Building. Promovenda Putu Devi Maharani, S.S., M.Hum. successfully achieved the predicate of "Very Satisfactory" (Sangat Memuaskan) after successfully defending her dissertation titled "Alih Kode pada Dialog Tokoh Punakawan Wayang Cenk Blonk: Sebuah Kajian Sosiopragmatik" (Code-Switching in the Dialogues of Punakawan Characters in Wayang Cenk Blonk: A Sociopragmatic Study) before the board of examiners, colleagues, and family.

The success of the promovenda in defending her research was inseparable from the guidance, feedback, and evaluation provided by the examiners. The open examination session was chaired by Prof. Dr. I Made Netra, S.S., M.Hum., accompanied by Prof. Dr. Ketut Artawa, M.A. as the Promoter, Prof. Dr. Made Sri Satyawati, S.S., M.Hum. as Co-promoter 1, and Prof. Dr. Dra. Luh Putu Laksminy, M.Hum. as Co-promoter 2. Meanwhile, the board of examiners accompanying the chair consisted of Prof. Dr. Ketut Widya Purnawati, S.S., M.Hum., Prof. Dr. Drs. I Nyoman Suparwa, M.Hum., Prof. Dr. Drs. I Wayan Simpen, M.Hum., Dr. I Ketut Suar Adnyana, M.Hum., and Dr. Ni Luh Putu Krisnawati, S.S., M.Hum.

In her dissertation presentation, the promovenda introduced a novelty by expanding the study of code-switching, which is generally confined to a structural sociolinguistic perspective, toward a sociopragmatic analysis. She emphasized that language switching in multilingual interactions—especially in wayang dialogues—is not an indication of random linguistic incompetence. Instead, code-switching is a systematic phenomenon and a pragmatic strategy deliberately used by speakers to achieve specific communicative goals in a social interaction.

The research, which analyzed 60 videos from the Wayang Cenk Blonk YouTube channel, discovered a unique non-prototypical code-switching pattern, one of which operates through morphological control. For instance, the promovenda highlighted the use of the hybrid word "permitraan". The lexicon "mitra" (Balinese for paramour/affair) is combined with the Indonesian affixes "per-an", which is cleverly utilized as a phonological play to produce an element of surprise and humor for the audience. Furthermore, code-switching is also exploited to respond to social changes, such as the use of the pun "kolorrona" (referring to the coronavirus) or the insertion of the English phrase "refreshing and enjoy" by the character Delem to construct the image of a modern Balinese society that remains relaxed in the face of the pandemic.

Overall, the dissertation successfully mapped seven pragmatic strategies and five groups of meaning—including relational, ideological, emotional, cultural, and performative meanings—constructed through code choices. This theoretical finding integrates the structure of code-switching with sociolinguistics and pragmatics in a multidimensional manner. Through this research, the promovenda hopes that the study of code-switching can be applied more flexibly in various other performance contexts, while simultaneously making a tangible contribution to the preservation of Balinese language, art, and culture.

Moving on to the Q&A session, the promovenda comprehensively responded to various critical questions from the board of examiners. She convincingly defended the argument that the code-switching phenomenon in the Wayang Cenk Blonk performance goes beyond an ordinary communicative function; rather, it is a pragmatic strategy deliberately designed by the speaker to produce sociopragmatic meanings within specific social contexts. Furthermore, the promovenda provided a profound elaboration on the novelty of her non-prototypical code-switching findings to dissect language-switching variations that are too complex to be explained solely by foundational theoretical frameworks. She demonstrated that although Balinese generally acts as the matrix language, structural control is often unexpectedly taken over by the embedded language purely to execute the intended sociopragmatic strategy.

In his closing remarks, Prof. Dr. Ketut Artawa, as the Promoter, emphasized that the promovenda's dissertation has made a significant contribution to the development of science and has met all the requirements to attain the doctoral degree. He also expressed his appreciation for the promovenda's resilience and hard work in overcoming various challenges throughout the academic supervision process. As a final piece of advice, Prof. Artawa imparted a philosophical message regarding the true nature of an academic who continuously seeks knowledge. "The more we learn, the more we realize that we are not actually getting smarter, but rather more confused. It is within that confusion that we must become wiser individuals," he concluded.