Balinese language

This paper examines the literary and ethnolinguistic aspects of the Balinese lontar (palm leaf) manuscript of Rukmini Tatwa, which documents the treatment and care of male and female sexual organs. This manuscript contains rich ancient knowledge of local ethnobotany related to various spices primarily for the treatment and care of male and female sexual organs to achieve ultimate sexual harmony for married couples. The study focusses on the textual and contextual analysis of the linguistic and cultural aspects of the manuscript. The approach of the analysis is descriptive-qualitative within ethnobotanical literature and cognitive ethnolinguistics. The novelty of the present study is its integrated interdisciplinary analysis from a socio-cultural-linguistic cognitive perspective. Significant findings include intriguing uses of ethnolinguistic strategies and resources in the form of literary features, genres, and symbolic lexicons in Balinese Hindu culture and diglossic multilingual context to augment aesthetic and mystical-religious experiences and mitigate the effect of negative social (taboo) meaning closely linked to sexual discourse.

Abstrak (in Indonesian)
Tulisan ini mengkaji aspek estetis sastra dan berbagai aspek etnolinguistik dan kultural terkait implementasi ramuan rempah dalam manuksrip Bali Rukmini Tatwa yang mendokumentasikan pengobatan dan perawatan organ keperkasaan pria dan kecantikan wanita. Manuksrip ini merupakan salah satu khazanah budaya Bali yang mencerminkan kekayaan intelektual orang Bali di masa silam, yang dituang di atas daun rontal dengan aksara lokal Bali dalam bingkai bahasa sastra. Kekayaan informasi dan pengetahuan etnobonati lokal yang terdokumentasikan dalam manuskrip ini mencakup berbagai ramuan rempah utamanya untuk pengobatan dan perawatan organ seksual pria dan wanita, khsususnya bagi pasangan suami istri. Fokus kajian pada aspek kognitif kultural linguistik yang terintegrasi dalam analisis tekstual dan kontekstual. Analisis dilakukan secara deskriptif kualitatif dengan pendekatan etnobotani sastra, linguistik kognitif dan kognitif-kultural. Analisis juga didukung oleh temuan penelitian dan sumber-sumber tertulis lainnya yang terkait dengan kajian ramuan rempah. Kebaruan analisis manuksrip Bali Rukmini Tatwa ini pada kajian kognitifnya dalam perspektif sosio-kultural-linguistik. Temuan penting diantaranya penggunaan strategi dan daya etnolinguistik berupa fitur-fitur ragam (genre), majas sastra, dan leksikon simbolik dalam konteks budaya Hindu Bali untuk augmentasi efek pengalaman rasa estetis dan mistis-keagamaan, dan mitigasi efek rasa sosial/makna tabu. Diharapkan warisan pengetahuan leluhur tentang rempah dan pengobatan dalam lontar Rukmini Tatwa ini tetap lestari, dapat diterapkan, diadaptasikan dan dikembangakan dalam kehidupan modern sehari-hari. Abstract This paper examines the literary and ethnolinguistic aspects of the Balinese lontar (palm leaf) manuscript of Rukmini Tatwa, which documents the treatment and care of male and female sexual organs. This manuscript contains rich ancient knowledge of local ethnobotany related to various spices primarily for the treatment and care of male and female sexual organs to achieve ultimate sexual harmony for married couples. The study focusses on the textual and contextual analysis of the linguistic and cultural aspects of the manuscript. The approach of the analysis is descriptive-qualitative within ethnobotanical literature and cognitive ethnolinguistics. The novelty of the present study is its integrated interdisciplinary analysis from a socio-cultural-linguistic cognitive perspective. Significant findings include intriguing uses of ethnolinguistic strategies and resources in the form of literary features, genres, and symbolic lexicons in Balinese Hindu culture and diglossic multilingual context to augment aesthetic and mystical-religious experiences and mitigate the effect of negative social (taboo) meaning closely linked to sexual discourse.