LANGUAGE IN MANORA DANCE: A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS AND MEANING CONVEYANCE

Abstract

This article aims to analyze discourse and meaning-making through language in Manora dance, a traditional performing art of Southern Thailand. The findings reveal that the language used in Manora dance has unique characteristics that reflect cultural elements, beliefs, and worldviews of Southern Thai people. In particular, language plays a crucial role in conveying content and emotions in each performance set through various rhetorical devices such as comparison, metaphor, and symbolism. The use of Southern Thai dialect also helps establish cultural identity. Furthermore, language serves the function of communication and interaction between artists and audience through dialogue, which affects the creation of shared experiences and emotional meaning perception in the performance. This article will contribute to a deeper understanding of linguistic and communicative dimensions of folk performing arts, leading to sustainable preservation and transmission of this cultural heritage.