A corpus-based lexical analysis of Covid-19 special messages by the former prime minister of Malaysia

Authors

  • Shazila Abdullah Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.
  • Norasyikin Abdul Malik Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.
  • Mohamad Syafiq Ya Shak Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.
  • Nuramira Anuar Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol8iss2pp44-72

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The global emergence and rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 seriously affect a nation’s economic and social well-being, including Malaysia. During the lockdown period, the former Prime Minister delivered special messages on television about updates on COVID-19 issues in Malaysia. A specialised Malay corpus, i.e., Cov-19 Related Special Messages Corpus, consisting of 19 Special Messages texts by Muhyiddin Yasin, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, was examined to reveal its lexical profiling.

Methodology: The specialised corpus was analysed using the Sketch Engine tool, fully utilising the Wordlist, Keyword, and Concordance functions for lexical analysis. The list of lexical items was then compared with the same list of items in the Malaysian Web (MalaysianWaC), a default Malay Reference Corpus set in Sketch Engine.

Findings: Through wordlist analysis, the most frequently used words in the analysed corpus are generally linked to political or government entities (e.g., kerajaan, menteri, and perdana) and the welfare of the Malaysians (e.g., rakyat, kesihatan, and epidemik). The keyword analysis indicates that words related to the containment of the pandemic and reference to the Malaysians (e.g., saudara-saudari, pelitup, and penjarakan) show high keyness values. Finally, through concordance analysis, some words with high keyness scores are used differently in specialised Malay and Reference Corpus. From the analyses, the most used words in the specialised corpus are related to the issue of COVID-19.

Contributions: This study's findings contribute to a deeper understanding of language use during a critical period in Malaysia's history. The analysis highlights the linguistic emphasis on government, societal welfare, and pandemic-related containment measures, offering valuable references for future studies on crisis communication and lexical profiling in the Malay language.

Keywords: Corpus analysis, specialised corpus, COVID-19, WordSmith Tool, lexical analysis.

Author Biographies

  • Shazila Abdullah, Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.

    Dr. Shazila Abdullah, an esteemed researcher, serves at UiTM Cawangan Perak. Holding a PhD in Applied Linguistics from UiTM Shah Alam, her niche area lies in learner's corpora. With a focus on analysing language data from learners, she utilises her expertise in corpus studies to gain insights into language acquisition and proficiency. Through her extensive research in this field, she has made significant contributions in language development and pedagogy.

  • Norasyikin Abdul Malik, Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.

    Norasyikin Abdul Malik is an English Language lecturer at the Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Perak Branch. With a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), she is currently pursuing a PhD in Applied Linguistics at UiTM Shah Alam. Her research focuses on corpus-based study in Islamic spoken discourse, encompassing Corpus Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, Metaphor Study, Semantics, and Pragmatics.

  • Mohamad Syafiq Ya Shak, Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.

    Mohamad Syafiq Ya Shak is a member of the Academy of Language Studies at UiTM Perak Branch. With a Master’s degree in TESL, he is currently pursuing a PhD in Education (TESL) at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, specialising in Material Development and Textbook Evaluation. He actively contributes to local newspapers and has research interests in Curriculum Design, Gender, Intercultural Communication, and Media.

  • Nuramira Anuar, Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perak, Seri Iskandar Campus, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.

    Dr. Nuramira Anuar is a dedicated lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perak, Seri Iskandar, Perak, specialising in English and Linguistics. She holds a PhD in Education from University of Glasgow. With a passion for language and discourse, she contributes to the field of linguistics through her research and teaching endeavours.

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Published

2023-06-30

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 2: Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

A corpus-based lexical analysis of Covid-19 special messages by the former prime minister of Malaysia. (2023). Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS), 8(2), 44-72. https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol8iss2pp44-72