Eksistensi Bahasa Nias Pada Generasi Muda: Kajian Sosiolinguistik Terhadap Fenomena Campur Kode Dengan Bahasa Indonesia

Abstract

This article aims to describe the existence of the Nias language among young people through code-mixing with Indonesian, identify its forms and social functions, and discuss factors related to its use. It adopts a descriptive qualitative orientation and focuses on utterances containing Nias elements within Indonesian sentences. The examples discussed in the manuscript are grouped as insertions of words or particles and interpreted in relation to communication context, social closeness, cultural identity, language habits, and interlocutors. The discussion indicates that Nias elements still appear in young people's communication, while Indonesian is widely used in education and broader social interaction. Code-mixing may serve as a communication strategy and an identity marker; however, its presence alone is insufficient to establish the vitality level of the Nias language. Further field research with documented speech data, clearly described participants, and explicit data-collection contexts is needed to substantiate the findings. This article contributes to sociolinguistic discussion and local-language maintenance.