Hasanul Amri, Kristiawan Indriyanto, Sartika Sari
Simolol language faces critical endangerment, with usage declining from 70% among elderly speakers to 38.15% among teenagers—a 32-percentage-point drop indicating active language shift. This ethnographic study of 60 participants across three generational cohorts in Simeulue Regency, Aceh Province, applies UNESCO's vitality framework to assess current language status and document community preservation strategies. Findings reveal that Simolol occupies Fishman's GIDS Stage 6 with imminent risk of Stage 7 progression. Domain analysis demonstrates severe vulnerability in educational contexts (5% teenage usage) despite continued strength in family domains (74-100% usage). UNESCO criteria classify Simolol as severely endangered due to restricted intergenerational transmission and functional obsolescence in formal spheres. However, Indigenous strategies offer preservation mechanisms: nanga-nanga (lullabies) and inafi (storytelling) create natural transmission contexts within cultural frameworks, while ethnic solidarity maintains functional relevance in specific domains. These community-based approaches align with established maintenance principles but face systemic marginalization from institutional forces. Current trajectories suggest Simolol has approximately one generation before irreversible transmission disruption. Effective preservation demands immediate coordination between grassroots cultural practices and formal educational integration to counteract the asymmetric pressures accelerating language shift in this post-disaster, multilingual island context. © 2025 PROUniversitaria Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Universitas Prima Indonesia, Medan, Indonesia; Universitas Prima Indonesia, Medan, Indonesia; Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan, Indonesia
