WOMEN’S LANGUAGE IN SENSE AND SENSIBILITY BBC MINISERIES: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY

Abstract

The study aims to identify: (1) the features of women’s language, (2) the functions of women’s language, and (3) the characteristics of the society that is reflected through the use of language by the main female characters in Sense and Sensibility BBC Miniseries. The research was descriptive qualitative using sociolinguistic approach supported by some quantitative data. The data of the research were utterances that can be in the form of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences showing the features and functions of women’s language performed by the main female characters in Sense and Sensibility BBC Miniseries. The results of the research are as follow. (1) There are nine features of women’s language found in Sense and Sensibility BBC Miniseries. They are lexical hedges or fillers, tag questions, rising intonation on declaratives, empty adjectives, intensifiers, hypercorrect grammar, superpolite forms, avoidance of strong swear words, and emphatic stress. (2) Five functions of women’s language are found in the miniseries. They are to express uncertainty, to get response, to soften an utterance, to start a discussion, and to express feeling when they talk. (3) There are three characteristics of the society that is reflected through the use of language by the main female characters in Sense and Sensibility BBC Miniseries, those are: women are placed in an inferior position, women should live based on norms and rules in the society, and women are expected to be weak and helpless.

Keywords: women’s language, features, functions, main female characters, Sense and Sensibility BBC Miniseries