Language forms, word formation, and meaning in the linguistic landscape of the Berastagi tourism area, Indonesia
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Abstract
This study investigates the linguistic forms, word-formation processes, and functions of public signage in the Berastagi Tourism Area (BTA), North Sumatra, Indonesia. The study employed a qualitative descriptive approach based on 153 signs documented across tourism-related public spaces in Berastagi, Merdeka, and Dolat Rayat Subdistricts. Data were collected through photographic documentation and interviews with 12 sign owners, managers, or individuals knowledgeable about the background and meaning of the signs. The data were analyzed from linguistic, morphological, semantic, and multimodal perspectives. The findings reveal that the signage consists of monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual forms, with Indonesian being the most dominant language (50.3%), followed by English (15.0%), Indonesian–English (12.4%), and Indonesian–Karo (7.8%). The linguistic diversity also includes Batak, Chinese, Arabic, Minang, and Javanese. In terms of word formation, endocentric compounds constitute a prominent pattern, occurring in noun + noun (N+N), noun + adjective (N+Adj), noun + verb (N+V), and noun + noun + conjunction + noun (N+N+Conj+N) structures, alongside abbreviations and acronyms. Functionally, signage predominantly serves an informational function, realized through appeals, prohibitions, directional instructions, facility and service information, and warnings. The symbolic function, meanwhile, reflects modernity, local identity, and economic interests.
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