Linguistic Taboo as an Architecture of Power in East Nusa Tenggara: An Anthropological Linguistic Study From a Girardian Perspective

Yohanes Orong

doi:10.15826/csp.2026.10.2.388

Yohanes Orong Institut Filsafat dan Teknologi Kreatif Ledalero, Flores, Indonesia http://orcid.org/0009-0007-1790-5761

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2026.10.2.388

Abstract

This article analyzes linguistic taboo in the societies of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indonesia, as a patterned system of speech regulation rather than merely an inventory of prohibited words. Drawing on comparative analysis of published ethnographic and linguistic sources across Manggarai, Nage-Keo, Lio, Sikka, Lamaholot, Timor, Belu, Sumba, Rote, and Sabu, the study identifies recurrent linguistic mechanisms that structure taboo practices. These include morphosyntactically encoded naming prohibitions, anthroponymic replacement strategies in affinal relations, stratification of ritual registers, and genre-bound control of origin discourse. The findings demonstrate that taboo operates through systematic constraints on reference, register, and speaker entitlement, forming a structured distribution of speaking rights. Interpreted through theories of symbolic power and mimetic differentiation, this distribution can be understood as a linguistically instantiated architecture of power that organizes genealogical hierarchy and regulates access to prestige-bearing speech forms. By restricting access to names, ritual lexicon, and origin narratives, taboo maintains social differentiation and reduces conditions under which symbolic rivalry may intensify. Methodologically, the article proposes a replicable framework for analyzing taboo as a linguistic configuration observable across communities. The study contributes to broader debates on language, authority, and social transformation by showing how changing communicative environments may reshape regimes of speech legitimacy in kinship-based societies.

Author Biography

Yohanes Orong, Institut Filsafat dan Teknologi Kreatif Ledalero, Flores, Indonesia

Yohanes Orong is a lecturer at the Institute of Philosophy and Creative Technology (IFTK) Ledalero, Flores, NTT, Indonesia. He earned his Doctorate in Indonesian Language Education from Universitas Negeri Malang, Indonesia. He is also a Catholic missionary priest of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). His teaching and research focus on anthropological linguistics, discourse studies, linguistic anthropology, language ideology, and the dialogue between language, culture, and religion. His recent publications explore René Girard’s mimetic theory, linguistic taboos, artificial intelligence, and human dignity from interdisciplinary perspectives. Research interests: Anthropological Linguistics; Linguistic Anthropology; Discourse Analysis; Language Ideology; Mimetic Theory; Cultural Studies; Religion and Language; Artificial Intelligence and Human Dignity.

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