Arip Naksabandi, Transitivity in “Gettysburg Address”

TRANSITIVITY IN “GETTYSBURG ADDRESS”

Arip Naksabandi
naksabandi1997@gmail.com

IKIP Siliwangi

ABSTRACT
Speech is an activity to transfer information in front of people that is common between two
or more people. In this activity, speaker use the function of language. But there is a lot of
functions of language in real life. To present the fundamental functions of language, Halliday
developed a theory of Metafunction. From that Halliday’s theory, the fundamental functions
of language covers textual, interpersonal and ideational function. When people represent his
or her experience through language it means talk about how to represent ideational meaning
of Metafunction with Transitivity system. The study serves to know the composition of
Transitivity process on “Gettysburg Address” speech by Abraham Lincoln. This study use
Descriptive Qualitative method with document analysis. To analyze this study researcher
use Haliday’s theory and the result from this study show the Behavioural process dominated
than other process of transitivity, because this speech have a goal to persuade the society to
give their action in order to keep the legacy from ancestors and as the dedication of the
Cemetery at Gettysburg.

Keywords: Transitivity, Gettysburg, Addresses

A. INTRODUCTION

In way to make the other people or listener understanding the purpose from speaker, the
speaker have to transfer the information through oral way. In this part the activity have two
composition there are speaker as sources of information and listener as target of information.
Based on Listya and Febrie (2015) speech produced by the speaker must have purpose and
function, which is addressed to the listener to convey information to the listener.The function
of language have important roles in this part, because that according to Halliday’s theory on
Bakuuro (2017) the function of language covered textual, interpersonal and ideational. Based
on Bakuuro stated above the one of way to analysis the function of language is Transitivity,
tranisitivity is a way to analysis the ideational function of language based on metafunction
theory from Halliday. In linguistic there are a lot of way how to analyze some text or
transcript but in this study researcher choose transitivity system as a tool to analyze this
Gettysburg Address speech, because researcher want to analyze the transcript from
Ideational function side, because that to analyze the transcript researcher use the theory from
Halliday, through theory of metafunction where describe the language have a function in
real life covered textual, interpersonal and ideational.
Started from Halliday’s theory above researcher use transitivity to know the embryo or the
core for every clause as a part of Gettysburg Address transcript. To know that core the theory

101
from Halliday give a tool that is transitivity. In other resource Wignell (1995) stated in
transitivity talk about the clause as representation.
Gettysburg is a place where a great battle of civil war happened, on that civil war of America
there are a lot of war victims, from Union and Federation. Around 23.000 member’s of
federal has died and 25.000 member’s of federation has died. The war on Gettysburg is the
turning point of the American civil war. Because that Gettysburg until now as the destination
of hystorical place. The civil war on Gettysburg it self happen on 1-3 july 1863, but the
victim from that civil war very large until 48.000 peopples died. But through this war the
society can feel what is the government of the people, by the people, for the people or in this
modern era we call that as democracy.
Address on title of speech from Abraham Lincoln have a meaning, the speech from Abraham
Lincoln have a goal as dedication for all of victims and warrior on American civil war at that
time, because that speech delivered at national cemetary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the
afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, four and a half months after the Union armies
defeated those of the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg.
The focus analysis on this study is to know the function of ideational on Gettysburg Address
speech with system of Transitivity as a tool to know the core or embryo for every clause on
speech from Abraham Lincoln. Reseacher choose Gettysburg Adresse speech because this
speech have a big effect for United State society, and Gettysburg Address speech have
special place and always memorizing in United States society because this speech as the
dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg, through this speech Abraham Lincoln want to
make his society aware about the legacy from their ancestors, want to make his society aware
of the struggle of their ancestors. This speech have special role in America because that the
society always remember this speech. Beside that the position of Abraham Lincoln as the
first person as president of America at that time make this speech popular among historians
and American public.

B. LITERATURE REVIEW

Transitivity is one of metafunctions from Hallidays theory based on Bakuuro (2017).

At the starting point, Bakuuro (2017) explains metafunction have three points. There are
ideational, interpersonal and textual. On this metafunction transitivity is the way or system
how to represent ideational meaning on metafunction of language. Because based on Alaei
and Ahangari (2016) ideational meaning talks about how the participant represent his or her
experience through language. Beside that ideational function have two component there are
experiential meaning and logical meaning. Alaei and Ahangari (2016) said the transitivity
system is way how to express the experiential meaning and using process of implicating
associated participant roles and setting or configurations. In other sources Pertama, Rukmini
and Bharati (2018) defines that ideational metafuntion about how the language function
deliver or represent the experience, participant, and circumstances. Another example from
Halliday on Pertama, Rukmini and Bharati (2018), Halliday define “the transitivity system
construes the world of experience into a manageable set of process types” (p. 170).
From definition above transitivity structures have a function as system or way to
express representational meaning. To understand more based on Ong’onda (2016)
transitivity involves the language in context of use to describe.
1. What happen
2. Who the participants are
3. What the circumstances are
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The three points above from Ong’onda (2016) call as three semantic categories that
is explain in a general way how phenomenon in real world are exist or represented as
linguistic structures, with composition are:
1. Process, to explain what happen
2. Participant, or who do something or who get the influence from what is done
3. Circumstances, or the way to answer the question such as what, where, when,
who, why, and how or other sources call as 5W+1H questions.
In general view on mapping the ideational and transitivity system like a picture bellow.
Esistential
Attributive
Relational
Identifying
Circumstances
Process
Material

Mental
Non
Relational
Behavioral Participants
Carrier
Verbal
Token
Transitivit
y
Actor
Process
Participant
s
Sensor

Behaver

Sayer

Circumsta 5W+1H
nces Question

1 2
To understand more about the composition of transitivity or three semantic categories,
Bakuuro (2017) give simple picture to describe the role and position of three semantic
categories above on second picture.
In general, Bakuuro (2017) describe if process as central or core of transitivity and
Bakuuro call the process as “embryo’’. Without this part of transitivity, the clause can not
exist. And the next part to develop this “embryo’’ on clause, the writer or speaker needs
participants to cover as subjects and objects. And the last part of transitivity is circumstances
with the position of this part on periphery of the embryo structure. Three part above as the
compsition of transitivity and influence each other, but every system have a core or central
sector. And the core of this ideational function through transitivity is process.

1. Process
The first part of transitivity system are process, this part as the first position because Gerot
and Wignel on Lutfiyanto (2017) stated that process as central of transitivity different with
participants and circumstances because there are as incumbent upon the doings happening,
feelings, and beings. Basicly process have seven types, there are; material, mental,
behavioural, verbal, relational, existential, and meteorological.
The tables bellow show the differences of process characteristic on transitivity
 Material Doing bodily, physically, materially

Mental Sensing emotionally, intelectally,

sensorilly

Behavioural Behaving physiology and physichology

Verbal Saying lingually, signalling

Relational Being equal to, or some attribute of

Existential Existing there exist

From table above we can distinguish the differences between each types of transitivity
process. After understanding the differences between each types above, the writer or speaker
have to know about the composisition for each types on transitivity. The composition for
each types will present on tabale bellow.

Process Subject Verb Object

Material Actor Material Goal

Mental Affective/reactive
(feeling)
Cognitive
Senser (Thinking) Phenomenon
Perceptive
(perceiving
through the five
sense)
Behavioural Behaver Behavioural Range

Verbal Target
Sayer Verbal
Receiver

Verbiage

Relational Attributive Attributive Attribute

(Carrier)
Identifying Identifying Value
(Token)
Existential Existent Existential
105

2. Participants
Participants have a role to develop the core of transitivity. Based on Ong’onda (2016)
participants is entities involved in the process. Based on Gerot and Wignel on Lutfiyanto
(2017) above, the participants on transitivity there are;
 Actor on material
 Senser on mental
 Behaver on Behavioural
 Sayer on Verbal
 Carrier on Relational attributive
 Token on Relational Identifying
 Existent on Existential
 and Goals

3. Circumstances
On this part, circumstances as periphery of the embryo structure on transitivity represent
time, place, manner, cause, accompaniment, matter and role. Anggraini (2018). In order to
answer the question above we need to know about 5W+1H question. The correlation
between the composition of circumstances above with 5W+1H question there are;
 To answer time that is talk about when
 To answer place or spatial that is talk about where
 To answer manner that is talk about how
 To answer causes that is talk about why
 To answer accompaniment that is tells with (out) who or what and is probed by who
or what else?
 To answer matter that is talk about what
 To answer role that is talk about who

C. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research used descriptive qualitative method because the aimed of this study to describe
the process of Transitivity on Gettysburg Adresses Speech by Abraham Lincoln. Based on
Patton (2002) Qualitative research is characterized by its purpose, relating to understanding
some aspects of social life, and its methods which (in general) generate words, rather than
numbers, as data for analysis. In this study, Gettysburg Addresses speech have 44 process
of Transitivity. In collecting the data stage researcher use the document analysis. The first
steps researcher browse and copy the transcript of Gesttysburg Adresses Speech from
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/app/uploads/2013/11/Transcript-of-the-Gettysburg-
Address.pdf then researcher analyzed the transcript from resource above. There are some
steps in process of analyzing the data on this study, there are, first step copying the transcript
of Gettysburg Adresses Speech, second steps there is making a table to divided the sentence
or clause, and the third steps there is analysing the process of transitivity for every sentence
and clause based on context. Based on Bakuuro (2017) stated analysis of transitivity should
cover circumstances, participants and process.
D. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Based on Halliday’s theory on literature review above, researcher give the result of
transitivity analysis on pie chart below.

TRANSITIVITY IN GETTYSBURG ADDRESS

Identifying
5%

Material
26% Behavioural
43%

Attributive
3%

Mental Verbal
20% 3%

Pie chart above is the result of this study, and show the behavioural process dominated than
other process.

The Discussion should be an interpretation of the results rather than a repetition of the
Results. The Discussion should be an interpretation of the results rather than a repetition of
the Results. The Discussion should be an interpretation of the results rather than a repetition
of the Results. The Discussion should be an interpretation of the results rather than a
repetition of the Results. The Discussion should be an interpretation of the results rather than
a repetition of the Results.

1. Material Process
Four score and our fathers Brought forth on this
seven years ago continent a new
nation
Participants Process Goal
Actor Material

that we should do This

Participants Process Goals
Actor Material
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The clause above have a process of material as a core or embryo, based on Lutfiyanto (2017)
the characteristic of material process is doing something in bodily, physically or materially.
We can identification the clause on table, with the first step we should find the core on that
clause.
The core on clause at the first table above that is Brought, in process of transitivity brought
as material process, because as doing activity from the participant, and the participant is our
fathers, because as the actor or some one who doing the activity or some one who have the
experience, and the experience is brought. The last part on first table that is forth on this
continent a new nation as the goal from the action by participant that is actor.
After that on the second table above have do as core or embryo, because that the process on
that clause is material the reason that is do mean some action from the participant and the
participants is we, in this clause the participant is actor because the process is material, and
this as the goal from actor or participant action.

2. Mental Process
We are met on a great battle-field of
that war
Participant Prosess Circumstances
Actor Mental Spatial/Place
Perceptive

but it can never forget

Process
Mental
Cognition
The second types of process in transitivity is mental, based on Lutfiyanto (2017) on mental
process of transitivity the characterisitic is sensing experience from the participant. In mental
process participant call as senser because the experience from the participant is sensing,
covered in affective, cognitive and perceptive. Affective when the senser experience through
feeling about something, and then cognitive when the senser experience through his mind or
his thinking, and the last is perceptive that is when the senser experience perceiving through
the five sense.
Based on analysis on table above, in the first table the core is met on, “met” on clause above
have meaning the participant experience is sensing from participant five sense, that is
participant eye’s. After find the core, the second step find the participant, and the participant
on clause at first table is we are, with meaning the pasrticipant on clause is senser, because
his experience is perceiving through the five sense. The last part is a great battle-field of
that war as circumstances of spatial or place, because describe the place of experience from
the senser happen.
On the second table, the process is mental with never forget as the core, this types as mental
because the experience from the pasrticipant is thinking or mind. With brain as the tool for
the activity from the senser.
3. Behavioural Process
as a final resting for those who gave their lives
place
Circumstances Participants Behavioural
Spatial or Place Behaver

that nation might live

Partiocipant Process
Behaver Behavioural

But, in a larger We Can not dedicate

sense,
Actor Process
Behaver Behaviour
Behavioural process is process of behaving through physiology and physichology
experience from the participant. In this types of transitivity the participant call as behaver.
Same with other types of transitivity to know the participant, the first step that is find the
core or the process in the clause.
In the first table the process is lives, because the process is behavioural the participant call
as behaver, and the participant is who, who in clause above mean some one give their lives
as their experience. Before participant that is circumstances of spatial or place.
The second table have a same process that is behavior because the core is might live with
nation as behaver. And then in the last table the process is dedicate as a core in a clause.
Dedicate have posisition as behavioural process and the participant is we.

4. Verbal Process
The world will little note , nor long what we Say here,
remember
Participants Process Process Participants Process Circumstances
Senser Material Mental Sayer Verbal Place
Cognition
Beside material, mental and behavioural, in the other types of transitivity that is verbal. This
types of transitivity is action of saying (lingually or signaling) and the participant call as
sayer.
On the able above, the clause can identify if say as the core of the clause, and because the
action is saying the core as verbal process, and the participant that is we as sayer, this types
can identify if the action through lingually or signalling by saying activity or oral way.
109

5. Relational Attributive
that this nation, shall have a new birth of
under God freedom
Participant Process Atribute
Carrier Attributive
Possesive
Relational attributive have a goal to assign quality to something, to make easy knowing the
process is attributive or identifying, we can see from the sentence. When the sentence can
reversed it means the process is attributive, beside that attributive have function to answer
what, how or what …like?.
Based on table above, the process in a clause is attributive possessive because using have.

6. Relational Identifying
It is for Us The living
Participants Process Value
Carrier Relational
Identifying
Intensive

The brave men living and Who struggled Here

dead
Participants Identifying Participants Process Circumstances
and value
Token Actor Material Spatial/place

Different with relational attributive, relational identifying have a goal to identify something.
This process can reversed diferent with attributive. And then this process to answer identify
question such as which, who, which/who …as?.
In the table above living and dead as value, but the sentence have ellipsis because in the full
sentence should use is. Because that the clause above as Indetifying process of transitivity.

E. CONCLUSION
This paper has analyzed the Transitivity system on script of Gettysburg Adress speech by
Abraham Lincoln, based on finding and discussion above there are the composition of
transitivity process, with the most process is behavioural process, that is 43% after that
material 26%, mental 20%, identifying 5%, attributive 3% and verbal 3%. Based on result
above we can conclude if bheavioural process dominated than other process, because this
speech have a goal to persuade the society to give their action through physiology and
physichology, in order to keep the legacy from ancestors. Not only doing something but with
loving that and as the dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg.
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