4.1.2.1.3 Semantic Completion Point
Furo 2001: 15 applies four criteria to identify semantic completion point, they are, 1 floor right, 2 floor-claiming utterance, 3 proposition, and 4 reactive token.
Floor right refers to the right of speaker to hold the floor. When the right is expired or yielded, semantic completion point is marked at that place. In interaction, a speaker
may ask question to the hearer, and this selects the hearer as the next speaker. Floor- claiming utterance deals with words, phrases or preliminary action which project longer
talk, and semantic completion point is marked at the end of the projected longer talk. When there is no an indication that the longer talk cannot be projected by words or
phrases, the semantic completion point is marked at the end of proposition, like in a single or complex clause. Reactive tokens such as; backchannel, reactive expressions,
repetition, collaborative finish, laughter, and short statement are considered semantically complete because they carry out recognizable actions.
In Toba Batak conversation, the floor right can be identified from the data shown in excerpt 43 below.
Excerpt 43 1
A : jadi dapot do ibana ? 2
B : ise ? 3
A : bayon. 4
B : ah, dangadong. Sisia do dibaen. 5
C : [ sisia do di au. 6
: 31.7 7
A : dua puluh ribu be hita. 1.8 Dua puluh ribu be. 8
C : sian au ma sude. 9
A : jadi boha do . Toria ah, ah. 2.6. So hea tobbus. 10
B : Naga nga dia si nagai ?
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11 C : e . Alusi
12 A : [ alusi Naga . Oi, alusi donganmi
13 D : [ [ ison do au.
14 E : [ [ nyon si naga 15 B : ai nagodangan Sinaga ison. Nai etokko do horoha.
16 nai etokko holan parkantor bupati Sinaga? 17 A : a tahe ba
Exerpt 43 English equivalent 1
A : did he win? 2
B : who ? 3
A : this man. 4
B : no he didn’t. He put number 9. 5
C : [ I put number 9. 6
31.7 7
A : we are twenty thousands each 1.8 Twenty thousands each. 8
C : all from me. 9
A : so how. So, ah, ah. 2.6 Never win. 10
B : Naga Where is Sinaga ? 11
C : e. answer 12
A : [answer Naga. Oi, answer your friend. 13
D : [[ I am here. 14
E : [[this is Sinaga. 15
B : there are many Sinaga. Do you think that. 16
do you think that only Sinaga of the regent officer? 17
A : a.. so and so.
From the data above, A in line 1 has the right to talk during the time he is talking. When time of talking or floor right is expired, the semantic completion point is
marked at this place. A selects B as the next speaker by addressing the question to him Picture 6.
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Picture 6. A conversation about a coupon-number
B C
A D
The semantic completion point overlaps with the intonational completion point and grammatical completion point. When the intonation comes to be raised, at the end
of this point there are intonational, semantic completion point, and grammatical completion point, as at these points it is possible that the ends are completed as the sign
of possible TRP. This would be discussed further at the discussion section. The second semantic completion point, floor-claiming utterance, can be found
in excerpt 42. A in line 1: Si Morjo mungkin do songonon.Ibana songon langsing dope berengon, makes a projected talk by using phrase as a cohesive device, songonon. The
semantic completion point is marked at the end of the projected talk. So, the sentence containing songonon: Si Morjo mungkin do songonon, projects the upcoming
explanation about what the phrase songonon refers to. The same case is found in line 26: Maccobacoba aha, karejo. The word aha is used to project the upcoming
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explanation about it, karejo. The semantic completion point is marked at the end of this projected word, karejo.
Semantic completion point can be marked at the end of proposition of longer talk. This proposition includes not only single clauses, but also complex clauses, as
shown in excerpt 44 for single clause, and excerpt 45 for complex clause.
Excerpt 44 1
A : marsiajar dope horoa na i motoran . 2
B : [ e? mahua ? 3
A : marsiajar. 4
B : ise ? 5
A : namabboan motoran. 6
B : oh. 7.9 sian on do halakon nakkinin. 7
A : e = 8
B : = na modom di jabu ni bapa. 9
C : ise sian on ? 10
B : e. kedakkon.
Excerpt 45 1
A : dison nuaeng , tommat ni halak tulang. 2
tulang si aha , tulang anak si Edison. 3
dakkana songon ahai dope. 4
B : tibbona = 5
A : = nga nason tibbona , nga ro suhatna 6
angka tommat doi nikku? lagi aha dope. 7
B : songino do daba . adong do las si laga-laga. 8
hurasa anggo sappulu kilo sakkabona 9
adong ma tommatna. 10
C : [naiabbirangida. 11
B : i. 12
A : oh nion hape aha ni Janji i 13
.B : i Janji i.
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Exerpt 44 English equivalent
1 A : the man in the car is still learning.
2 B : [ e ? what ?
3 A : learning.
4 B : who?
5 A : one who is driving the car.
6 B : oh 7.9 . They had been here.
7 A : yes =
8 B = who stayed at my father’s house.
9 C : who was here ?
10 B : e, this friend.
Exerpt 45 English equivalent
1 A : our uncle’s tomatoes are here
2 the uncle of, the uncle of Edison’s son.
3 the branch is like that of..
4 B : the height =
5 A : = the height is like this, the root has grown.
6 they are tomatoes I said. they are like..
7 B : like this. this is a comparison.
8 I think there is one of 10 kilo a branch
9 of tomatoes.
10 C : [ that one on the left.
11 B : yes.
12 A : on that one at Janji.
13 B : yes. at Janji.
In excerpt 44 line 5, a single clause: Na mabboan motoran is the first example categorized as proposition in which at its end marked a semantic completion point.
Although it is a subordinate clause which is uttered apart from the independent clause, it is considered a complete semantic unit and it can project the possible TRP leading to
transition of spaker or speaker change line 6. The second example of this kind is shown in line 8: Na modom di jabu ni bapa which at its end a semantic completion
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point is marked as it is also considered a complete semantic unit in interaction. And at its TRP there is a transition of speaker line 9. See further picture 7 below
Picture 7. A conversation about a learning-driver and a new-comer
B D
A C
Line 8 and 9 in excerpt 45 exemplify semantic completion point in a complex clause. The independent clause, Adong ma tommatna, at its end it is possible a TRP
occurs. The adverb, hurasa is a part of the independent clause and constitues a semantic unit with the subordinate clause, anggo sappulu kilo sakkabbona. The
independent clause here is a proposition that marks semantic completion point at its end. It is launched by B see picture 8 below
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Picture 8. A conversation about tomatoes-planting
A B C
Short responses to the primary speaker’s utterances which do not project an upcoming longer talk are reactive tokens. These reactive tokens, eventhough do not
have full structure as sentences can be used to mark semantic completion point because they are considered recognizable actions. Reactive tokens are categorized as;
backchannel, reactive expression, repetition, collaborative finish, laugher, and short statement. In Toba Batak conversation the six reactive tokens occur, as explained in the
following analysis. Backchannels are realized in: E, Oh, I. The first is shown in excerpt 44 line 7
and 10, the second is shown in line 6, and the third is shown in excerpt 45 line 11. Both Es are continuers, that in the first line 7 A by saying E, lets B continue his utterance
that explains the prior one line 6. Before launching A’s next utterance line 8 there is a latched between. This means that the backchannel functions to let other continue.
The second E line 10 functions as to give continuation to the same speaker, B. The
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same case also occurs in excerpt 42 line 9. Eventhough both Es are continuers, they are considered TCUs that project TRP for which a speaker can make a transition, and
therefore they are marked as semantic completion points. The next backchannel, Oh line 6, which is used by the recipient to receive the information from the speaker, is
considered a semantic completion point. B waits for nearly eight seconds until he continues his turn. At this lapse the transition of speaker can possibly occur, and at this
interaction the current speaker continues speaking by the change of topic. Backchannel, I, is used to show receipt of information as to display informational and news value of
the prior turn. The prior turn, Naiabbirangida line 11, excerpt 45 is received as valued news or information by the recipient B. Semantic completion point is marked
by this backchannel as it is a recognizable action. Reactive expression such as, addo is realized in excerpt 41 line 11 which comes
within a turn of other speaker. This B’s reactive expression emerges as a result of a non-verbal action, that is, B’s drawing the hand of the old woman out of her house for a
talk with the boys. The reactive expresion, addo, is marked as the indicator of semantic completion point as it is a recocnizable action. Another reactive expression, a tahe ba,
is found in excerpt 43 line 17. It is a reactive expression of the prior turns which reflects funny talk as a device of showing and building social relation. This is
considered a semantic completion point because it shows a recocnizable action. Repetition as a device of showing semantic completion point is shown in
excerpt 42 and 43. The first repetition; dua ribu opat, dangi? line 16 repeats what is uttered in line 15, dua ribu opat. The question tag, dangi as the additional word
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completes the repetition that can also mark semantic completion point. However without the question tag, at the end of the repeated words there is a semantic
completion point for which TRP is possible. The second example of repetition shown in excerpt 43 is, sisia do di au line 5. In the conversation, C repeats a part of B’s
utterance line 4, and the semantic completion poin is marked at the end of the additional words. These repetitions display an understanding of how it confirms the
prior turn which is repeated. Collaborative finish is considered to mark semantic completion point, as shown
in excerpt 43, line 13 and 14. D’s turn, Ison do au, and E’s turn, Nyon sinaga, are in collaborative completion as shown by the left-hand bracket in the data. This is also a
problem of simultaneous talk which will be further discussed. After their simultaneous talk the change of speaker occurs, and in this interaction B continues his turn in line 15
and 16. Laughter is also considered a recognizable action as it can display a
listenership, and through such marker there is a possibility of speaker change. Laughter is codified by: he.. he.., ha.., ha.., as seen in excerpt 41, line 5, and excerpt 42, line 11.
The first laughter: . Ha.. ha.., is preceded by the word tuguan, so becomes, Tuguan. Ha.. ha… The laughter refers to the preceding word or done within utterance. So after
the laughter, a semantic completion point is marked, and there is a speaker change here. The second laughter: He.. he.., is done on the completion of some utterance and it
affiliate to the last utterance line 9 excerpt 42. Semantic completion point is marked after the laughter. In this case there is no a speaker change.
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The last reactive token is short statement. Ther are many short statements in the data. For example, in exerpt 43 line 13, Ison do au, and line 14, Nyon Sinaga, in case
of the collaborative finish in simultaneous talk, they are short statements at which ends marked semantic completion points. In excerpt 42 too, line 19, Di FISIP do au, as short
statement, it marks a semantic completion point at its end.
4.1.2.2 Turn Allocation Component
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