Carrying Sarawak Home: Malaysian Malay Code-Mixing in the Indonesian Speech of Returned Migrant Workers from Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan

Riska Wahyuni; Lilis Listiyawati; Setya Aristu Pranoto

doi:10.61100/tacit.v4i2.387

Authors

Riska Wahyuni Politeknik Negeri Pontianak
Lilis Listiyawati Politeknik Negeri Pontianak
Setya Aristu Pranoto Politeknik Negeri Pontianak

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61100/tacit.v4i2.387

Keywords:

Returned Migrant Workers, Malaysian Malay, Code-Mixing, Sociolinguistics, Social Identity

Abstract

Research on migrant language contact often emphasizes interference rather than the relationship between linguistic forms and social meanings after migration. This study examines Malaysian Malay code-mixing among returned Indonesian migrant workers in Sambas Regency. Using a qualitative sociolinguistic approach, data were collected through observation and interviews across three locations. The corpus comprised 25 utterances, including seven observed and eighteen interview-derived examples. Findings revealed lexical insertions, phrase-level expressions, and multiple Malaysian Malay elements within Indonesian speech. Although insertion was prominent, several utterances suggested structural overlap between closely related varieties. Participants reported three motivations: solidarity with fellow returnees, identity-related self-presentation, and residual linguistic habits. English-derived vocabulary and words with divergent meanings also appeared. The study contributes an integrated perspective connecting linguistic structures, migration experiences, and social interpretations. However, the limited corpus and predominance of interview-derived examples restrict conclusions about spontaneous language use and broader social meanings.

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