<![CDATA[It is motivated by the crucial role of language in community life, particularly in traditional ceremonies where language functions not only as a communication tool but also as a vehicle to convey intentions, emotions, rules, values, and cultural norms. The Nduna Bakulak traditional ceremony is an Oematamboli village tradition rich in social and cultural value, featuring various speech forms. Consequently, the utterances used in the ceremony present a compelling subject for study regarding their forms and functions. This study aims to describe the forms and functions of directive and expressive speech acts in the Nduna Bakulak traditional ceremony and to explain their usage within the community's social and cultural context. This research employs a descriptive qualitative approach. The data consist of utterances containing directive and expressive speech acts identified during the execution of the Nduna Bakulak traditional ceremony. Data sources were gathered from utterances spoken by ceremony participants, traditional elders, and community members involved in the event. Data collection techniques included observation, interviews, documentation, and audio-video recording. The collected data were subsequently transcribed, translated, classified, and analyzed based on form, function, and contextual usage. This study applies pragmatic theory to analyze speech acts through the speaker's intent within specific contexts. In speech act theory, directive acts involve the speaker's attempts to get the listener to perform an action, whereas expressive acts serve to express the speaker's psychological state or attitude. Additionally, Dell Hymes' sociopragmatic theory—specifically the SPEAKING model—is utilized to understand the relationship between utterances and their underlying social and cultural contexts. The SPEAKING framework encompasses Setting and Scene, Participants, Ends, Act Sequence, Key, Instrumentalities, Norms, and Genre, offering a lens to examine how the context of a speech event influences the use and interpretation of language. The results reveal a range of directive and expressive speech act forms in the Nduna Bakulak traditional ceremony. The directive speech acts identified include advising, inviting, commanding, requesting, and forbidding. These acts function to guide participant behavior, invite the community to take action, solicit assistance or specific deeds, offer counsel, and ensure the ceremony proceeds in according with customary rules. Meanwhile, the expressive speech acts found include expressions of gratitude, respect, prayer, hope, and solidarity. These expressive utterances function to convey the speaker’s feelings and attitudes—such as gratitude, deference toward participants, aspirations for family life, and a sense of unity and solidarity within the community. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that directive and expressive speech acts in the Nduna Bakulak traditional ceremony serve not merely as communication channels, but also fulfill vital social and cultural functions. The use of these utterances is intrinsically linked to participant relationships, social status, communicative goals, customary norms, and the ceremonial setting. Thus, a pragmatic and sociopragmatic approach demonstrates that the meaning of an utterance cannot be isolated from its socio-cultural context. Furthermore, the speech acts in the Nduna Bakulak ceremony play an essential role in preserving kinship ties, honoring customary values, maintaining order during the ceremony, and ensuring the cultural continuity of the Rote Ndao people.]]>
