Local Voices, Global Encounters: Sociopragmatic Perspectives on Market Conversations at Pasar Klewer Solo

Budi Purnomo

Authors

Budi Purnomo Department of English Letters, Faculty of Language and Literature, Universitas Surakarta, Indonesia

Keywords:

Keywords: sociopragmatics, market discourse, multilingual interaction, Javanese politeness, Pasar Klewer Solo

Abstract

This study explores how local and global identities are negotiated through everyday market interactions at Pasar Klewer Solo, a traditional textile market known as the heart of Javanese commerce. Adopting a sociopragmatic perspective, the research examines three types of buyer–seller conversations: (1) exchanges conducted in Javanese between local speakers, (2) interactions in Indonesian between sellers and domestic visitors, and (3) mixed English–gesture encounters between local sellers and foreign tourists. The study aims to uncover how language choice, politeness strategies, and nonverbal cues reflect social relationships, identity positioning, and communicative adaptation in multilingual settings. Using a qualitative descriptive method, natural conversations were audio-recorded and transcribed, followed by pragmatic and contextual analysis. The findings reveal that Javanese speech levels (krama, madya, and ngoko) are pragmatically employed to maintain harmony and solidarity, Indonesian serves as a neutral linguistic bridge, while simplified English mixed with gestures functions as a creative intercultural negotiation tool. These linguistic strategies illustrate how traditional market talk embodies both cultural continuity and transformation in response to global contact. The study contributes to understanding how local communicative norms sustain social cohesion while adapting to tourism-driven multilingual interactions.

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