Prepositional Phrases in the Helong Pulau Dialect: A Syntactic Analysis

Abstract

This study examines the forms, structures, and syntactic functions of prepositional phrases in the Helong Pulau dialect spoken on Semau Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Although previous studies have documented aspects of Helong vocabulary and grammar, the syntactic characteristics of its prepositional phrases remain insufficiently explored. This research employed a qualitative descriptive approach involving five native Helong speakers selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through interviews, narrative elicitation, observation, and stimulus-based elicitation, including translation tasks. Utterances were transcribed, translated, and analyzed using phrase structure theory and three constituency tests: substitution, coordination, and movement. The findings identified four productive prepositions: se, ne, dengan/deng, and lolo, expressing locative, source, topical, and temporal meanings. The prepositions se and ne show an aspectual distinction: se is associated with perfective or past events, whereas ne indicates progressive or ongoing situations. Dengan/deng expresses source and topic relations, while lolo marks temporal inception, particularly the meaning of “since.” Syntactically, these prepositions head phrases that modify nouns, pronouns, and verbs. Their complements include noun phrases, temporal adverbs, and clauses. The constituency tests confirm that these phrases can undergo substitution, coordination with preposition deletion under identity, and fronting for emphasis, contrast, or topicalization. The findings reveal interactions among prepositional meaning, aspect, definiteness, complement selection, and syntactic position. This study contributes to the documentation of Helong grammar and the study of Austronesian syntax in eastern Indonesia.