Auxiliary Verbs in Kedah Malay Dialect: A Minimalist Program Analysis

(Kata Kerja Bantu dalam Dialek Melayu Kedah: Satu Analisis Program Minimalis)

Abstract

The auxiliary verbs are lexical items considered to be functional words because they have a grammatical function in a sentence. They are generally divided into aspects and modals. They have a fixed distribution in Malay, in which they come before the verb. However, there is a slight difference when the distribution is analyzed in dialects. Thus, this study was conducted to identify, classify and analyze the structure of the auxiliary verb in the Kedah Malay dialect employing theapproach used in the Minimalist Program. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher conducted field research. The study ofsentences in the Kedah Malay dialect was carried out at Kampung Bandar inthe Siong sub-district of Baling in Kedah. The findings of this study show that the auxiliary verbs in the Kedah dialect have a grammatical function, which is to indicate the tense of its verbs. However, analysis of modals reveals that modals only function to mark the future tense of the verb in this dialect.

Keywords: auxiliary verbs, Kedah, Minimalist, dialects