The Analysis Of Semantics Meaning Found In Comments Of

Instagram Account Of Infosumbar Based On Leech’ Theories

Rahma Kamanda Sari1

1English Department of Graduate Program, Padang State of University, Indonesia

Corresponding author’s email: rahmakamandasari.rks@gmail.com

Abstract
The aim of this study was to categorize the variety of meanings in semantics found
on social media, particularly on Instagram accounts. The phrases, clauses, and
sentences found in the comments on the Instagram account Infosumbar serve as the
study's source of data. According to Leech's theory, this research focuses on seven
different semantic meaning types. This study uses a descriptive qualitative methodology.
The observation approach is the one employed to collect data for this investigation.
According to the research, five different forms of semantic meaning— conceptual
meaning, connotative meaning, social meaning, reflective meaning, and collocative
meaning—were present in the comments on the Infosumbar Instagram account. Social
meaning is the most common type of meaning (43.70%). Within specific contexts of
society, social meaning helps in language interpretation and understanding. We may
better understand the intended messages and prevent misunderstandings by taking into
consideration the social meanings of words and expressions.
Keywords: semantics; meaning in semantics; types of meaning

INTRODUCTION
The most important and well-known tool for communication was language. The
study of language, according to Bloomfield (1993), is crucial to our daily lives. When we
discuss language forms, we refer to spoken and written words, phrases, clauses,
sentences, paragraphs, etc. (Swarniti, 2019). Languages were a reflection of how human
cultures were distinct internally. The study of linguistics is essential to the growth of a
language. The four departments of linguistics—phonology, morphology, semantics, and
syntax—each serve a specific purpose in the development of a language (Umagandhi
et al., 2017). One of the disciplines of linguistics is semantics, which examines the
meaning of spoken or written communication. Every written or

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spoken text needs to deliver some kind of meaning, thus understanding this study is
important. According to Leech (G. Leech, 1974), meaning is a concept or thought that may
be sent from the speaker's mind to the listener's mind by being covered in one language
or another.
When it comes to meaning, many researchers have conducted studies on the subject
of meaning. Unlike Palmer, who believes that the meaning is just concerned with the
element in the language itself, Djajasudarma believes that the meaning is the relationship
that occurs between the elements of the language itself (especially the words)
(Djajasudarma, 2012). As a result, meaning is a crucial component of a language since it
may help people understand the subjects being addressed at the moment. Thus,
understanding may be established automatically and communication can happen
smoothly. However, it is unlikely that the speech or issue being discussed would result
in biased communication if the language users speaking to one another do not
comprehend the meaning of the phrase (Syarifuddin & Hasyim, 2020). As a result, it's
important that listeners and speakers comprehend one another's language meaning.
Furthermore, according to Aminuddin (2015), certain meanings are implicitly
included in linguistic sounds. As consequence, the text will be easier to understand
(Swarniti, 2021).
One of the most widely used social media platforms for communication is Instagram.
Infosumbar was one of the officially recognized famous accounts. The most current
incidents or social problems were extensively covered in postings. Instagram users that
have accounts left many comments about it. There were both supportive and critical
remarks. Instagram users have the freedom to openly comment on any post.
Leech's seven types of meaning in semantics were the focus of this research. In order
for the speaker and the hearer to comprehend one another, Leech believes that meaning
is needed as a link in communication (G. Leech, 1981). According to Leech's theory, there
are seven different types of meaning in semantics: conceptual meaning, connotative
meaning, social meaning, affective meaning, reflective meaning, collocative meaning,
and thematic meaning. Palmer (1991) asserts that meaning may be defined broadly and
that changes in an individual's perception of a meaning are rare. The previously
mentioned an observation indicates that this study was necessary. This study's
objective was to identify several types of semantic meaning in comments on social media,
namely Instagram.

LITERATURE REVIEW
In this section, we will discuss more about the theories that support this
research, starting from the general to the specific. Semantics is one of the linguistics
branches, where it studies about the meaning of the written or spoken text. This study is
very important to learn because every written and spoken text needs a meaning to
deliver.
When talking about meaning according to the linguist Geoffrey Leech (1981),
"meaning" is a central concept in his theory of semantics. Leech defines meaning as "the
relationship between linguistic signs and the things or concepts they refer to in the real
world, as well as the relationships between signs themselves." It means that Leech
emphasizes the importance of context in determining meaning, and how the same word
or phrase can have different meanings depending on the context in which it is used.

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 Geoffrey Leech proposed seven types of meaning that are important in the study of
language. These are:
1. Conceptual meaning:
This refers to the literal or dictionary definition of a word or expression. It represents
the core or primary meaning of a word, without any additional connotations or
associations. Analyzing conceptual meaning in terms of sense and reference requires
examining the mental concepts or ideas connected to words or phrases. The intended
conceptual meaning must be determined in the context.

Take the term "bank," for example. Its sense and reference can be used to assess
its conceptual meaning. Depending on the context, "bank" can refer to a variety of
different institutions that deal with financial transactions. The literal margin of a river
would be the reference in the case of a riverbank. The reference in the context of a
financial institution would be to a specific bank.

2. Connotative meaning:
This refers to the emotional or subjective associations that a word or expression
may carry. It goes beyond the dictionary definition and includes the
cultural, personal, or social implications that a word can evoke. Connotative meaning,
which goes beyond the literal meaning of words to express attitudes, feelings, and
social factors, is necessary for efficient communication.
Connotations, however, differ depending on the context and may not be understood or
perceived in the same way by individuals.

According to Leech's theory, connotative meaning focuses on the cultural and social
connotations of words or phrases as well as their emotional and evaluative connections.
Beyond the denotative or conceptual meaning, it also has social and affective meaning.
Connotations are arbitrary and context-specific, and they greatly contribute to the variety
and interpretation of language.

3. Social meaning:
This refers to the social implications or cultural significance that a word or expression
may have. It relates to how language is used in specific social contexts and how it can
convey social relationships, power dynamics, or group identity. A key aspect of
connotative meaning is social meaning, which is important for language interpretation
and communication in a specific social or cultural context.

Leech identifies three important elements of social meaning:

Evaluative social meaning: The positive or negative judgments attached to certain
words or phrases based on social or cultural factors are referred to as this aspect of social
meaning. As an example, the terms "success" and "achievement" could represent good
assessments and be linked to ambition and accomplishment, whereas the terms
"failure" and "defeat" may be linked to disappointment or loss and reflect negative
evaluations.

Emotive social meaning: Emotive social meaning refers to the emotional meanings that
words or expressions take on as a result of their association
with certain social or cultural contexts. Various societies or cultures may have

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various meanings attached to these emotions. For instance, in a community
where national pride is broadly valued, the word "patriotism" can evoke strong positive
emotions, yet in a country where nationalist issues have a history; it may elicit mixed or
negative emotions.

Stylistic social meaning: The social or stylistic registers that particular words or phrases
are linked to are referred to as stylistic social meaning. Different words or expressions
may be seen as more official, casual, technical, or suitable for specific contexts or social
groupings. For example, compared to informal discussion among friends, the words used
in legal documents might have a different social meaning.

4. Affective meaning:
According to Geoffrey Leech's theory of semantics, affective meaning is a component
of connotative meaning that focuses on the potential emotional or evaluative implications
that words or phrases might carry. In addition to their denotative or logical meanings, it
deals with the subjective and emotive associations that people have with particular
words. Then, Affective meaning is concerned with the valence or emotional effect that
words can generate. It covers how a phrase or statement may make you feel, whether
those feelings are good, bad, or neutral. Depending on the individual, culture, or context,
these emotional undertones may differ.
Affective meaning, which goes beyond the literal meaning of words to convey
emotions, attitudes, or subjective evaluations, is crucial to effective communication.
It helps people communicate feelings, convey affective states, or elicit specific responses
in other people. It gives language use more complexity and variety.
In conclusion, Leech's theory of affective meaning emphasizes the emotional or
evaluative meanings of words or phrases. It includes affective meaning, which deals with
the emotional effect or implications of words, as well as evaluative meaning, which
involves positive or negative judgments. Affective meaning is subjective, context-
dependent, and adding an emotional dimension to language use.

5. Reflective meaning:
This refers to the way language reflects the thoughts, beliefs, and experiences of
the speaker or writer. It relates to how language can reveal the perspectives, biases, or
intentions of the person using it. The denotative or conceptual meaning covered in
semantics is strongly connected to reflective meaning. It is concerned with how language
is used to express the outside world in literal, factual, or referential ways.

It's important to remember that while reflective meaning examines how language
and reality connect, their connection might be complex. The meaning of words or
expressions can also be impacted by cultural, social, or contextual factors. Language
is a human construct that can shape and influence our view of the world.

6. Collocative meaning:
This refers to the associations that a word or expression may have with other words
or expressions. It focuses on the patterns of word combinations or collocations that are

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commonly used together. For language learners, understanding collocative meaning is
important because it helps them utilize words and expressions naturally and
appropriately for the situation. By comprehending the recommended collocations and
avoiding awkward or mismatched word combinations, it helps learners in developing
fluency and authenticity in their language use.
In conclusion, collocative meaning is a semantics concept that focuses on the
relationships and patterns of word combinations or collocations. It derives from the
predicted meaning that results from the regular word pairings, or collocations.
Collocative meaning enhances language usage with depth and precision and is essential
for native-like fluency and natural expressiveness.

7. Thematic meaning:
Thematic meaning, according to Geoffrey Leech's theory of semantics, is the
meaning that results from the links between words in a phrase that have a common
theme. It is concerned with how the functions and connections between words affect
the interpretation and overall meaning of a phrase. The understanding of
syntax and the organization of sentences have a close relationship to thematic meaning.
It emphasizes on the functions that words, such as the subject, object, verb, and
modifiers, play inside a sentence and how these roles affect the overall meaning and
message conveyed.
The thematic roles provide words in a phrase certain roles or connections. In the
phrase "John ate an apple," for instance, "John" is the subject, "ate" is the verb, and "an
apple" is the object. The link between the subject "John" and the action of eating, as well
as the subject "an apple" that is being eaten, is highlighted by the thematic meaning. The
semantic order and structure of sentences, as well as the functions and interactions of
the words inside them, may be understood by looking at the theme meaning. It helps
to comprehend how each of the elements of a phrase fit together to form a complete and
clear idea.
In conclusion, Leech's theory of thematic meaning emphasizes the meaning that
results from the thematic links between words in a phrase. To comprehend the entire
meaning and coherence of a phrase, it involves analyzing the roles and relationships of
words as well as their underlying semantic connections. The study of syntax and
semantic arrangement inside a phrase is helped by thematic meaning.
In his book, linguist Frank Palmer (1991) defines meaning as "the way in which
a word or expression carries a representation of the object or concept to which it
refers". Palmer also distinguishes between two types of meaning:

1. Referential meaning: This is the relationship between a word and the object or
concept that it refers to. For example, the word "cat" refers to a specific type of animal.
2. Conceptual meaning: This refers to the internal sense or idea associated with a
word, which can include its semantic features, connotations, and relationships with
other words. For example, the word "cat" might have conceptual meanings such as
"feline," "pet," or "cute."

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 Palmer also emphasizes the importance of context in understanding meaning, and
the way in which different contexts can shape or modify the meanings of words. He also
discusses the role of pragmatics, or the study of language use in context, in understanding
how speakers use language to achieve their communicative goals.
Geoffrey Leech and Frank Palmer share some similarities in their theories of
semantics and meaning, as both emphasize the importance of context in
understanding meaning and recognize the different layers or types of meaning that
language can convey.
Additionally, both Leech and Palmer recognize that meaning is a complex and multi-
dimensional phenomenon that cannot be reduced to a simple definition or formula. They
both emphasize the need to study meaning in a holistic and integrated way, taking into
account the various levels of linguistic analysis and the social and cognitive factors
that shape language use and interpretation.

METHOD
In the instagram, users are freely to give their opinions about the content that posted
in the form of comments. There are numerous posts on Infosumbar’s Instagram account
that have received numerous responses from Instagram account users. One of them is a
post about Padang City Transportation Department Sanctioned the Illegal Car Parking
In front of Basko Grand Mall That Cause of Traffic Jam. From the post in 10th April 2023,
it had 292 comments. The users give good and bad opinions on their comments. That
comments will be the data source in this research.
The data from this research in the form of phrases, clauses, and sentences that found
in the comments in the one post from instagram account of Infosumbar. This study was
primarily concerned with Leech's seven categories of meaning in Semantics. This
was a qualitative study that was supported with quantitative data. The descriptive
qualitative method was employed in this study. This research used observation method
in order to collect the data.

FINDINGS
Based on the analysis of the comments left on a famous post by Infosumbar on
Instagram, five types of meaning were identified: conceptual, connotative, social,
reflective, and collocative. The following chart shows the percentage of the analysis.

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 There are five different types of meaning identified, as can be seen in the chart
above. They were collocative meaning, social meaning, connotative meaning,
conceptual meaning, and reflected meaning. There were two different kinds of
meaning that cannot be found. They were both thematic and affective meaning. Social
meaning is the most common type. 44.70 percent of the meaning was societal. Collocative
meaning, which made up 4% of the meanings discovered, had the lowest percentage.
DISCUSSION
Conceptual Meaning

Cognitive meaning is another name for conceptual meaning. Linguistic

communication is said to be centered on conceptual meaning. The conceptual
meaning has a close-ended quality. It implies that a word's previous meaning is never
renewed at any point in time. In other words, from the beginning till the time the
word itself disappears, the conceptual meaning of the term remains unchanged.
Infosumbar discovered some information in a post with several comments on its
Instagram account that it categorizes as having conceptual meaning. There are two basic
parts, reference and sense, can be used to assess conceptual meaning. While reference
refers to the concrete creatures or things in the world that the term points to, sense
refers to the mental notion or idea linked with a word or phrase.
Leech also emphasizes how important context is for comprehending
conceptual meaning. He believes that use context, both linguistic and nonlinguistic,
has an impact on meaning in addition to the inherent properties of words or phrases.
Context helps in identifying words with various meanings and offers additional
information for understanding the speaker's or writer's intended conceptual meaning.
The sample of analysis as follow:

Tarif parkir yang terlalu mahal membuat pengendara parkir diluar

Based on the sample above, the word "tarif" refers to the price or charge set or
regulated for a particular service or good. It is a standard price that usually applies
to the use or utilization of something, such as telecommunications services,
transportation, or other public services. In this example, the conceptual meaning of the
word "tarif" provides a basic definition that explains the notion of price or fee charged for
using or obtaining a service or product. It deals with generally recognized values or costs
in a given context.

Connotative Meaning
According to Leech (G. Leech, 1981), connotative meaning is the additional
communicative value a statement possesses due to the subject matter it refers to.
Connotation refers to the real-world experience that one associates with a phrase
when they use or hear it, as described by Leech. Connotative meaning is derived from the
relationships and personal, cultural, or social experiences that people make with words.
It includes additional levels of meaning that might arouse emotions, attitudes, or
judgments in addition to the word's literal or dictionary definition.
Connotative meaning is extremely customized and might differ between individuals,
communities, or cultures. It is influenced by social factors, religious convictions, and
personal experiences. Connotations can develop over time for words or phrases through

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usage, context, or cultural associations. Connotative meaning, which goes beyond the
literal meaning of words to express attitudes, feelings, and social factors, is crucial for
efficient communication. Connotations, however, can vary depending on the context, and
not every person will understand or interpret them in the same way.
As a result, the boundary between conceptual meanings correlates with that
nebulous but crucial boundary between language and the real world. Based on the
analysis, the analysis described in the following sample:

Tenang beko bisa ditebus

Referring to the data above, it can be analyzed that the word “ditebus” referring to
a possibly hidden or indirect meaning of a word or expression, then it can fall into the
category of "connotative meaning". "ditebus" can have a deeper or figurative meaning
that involves an understanding of making a sacrifice or payment to obtain something.
However, it is important to note that the connotative meaning may vary depending on the
context and experience of different individuals or cultures.

Social meaning
Social meaning is the information that language conveys about the social context in
which it is used. The understanding of a text requires our comprehension of stylistics and
other language nuances. When a phrase or pronunciation conveys information about the
speaker's social or geographic background, we may determine whether it is dialectical.
Social meaning associated with the setting in which a term is spoken. It concentrates on
the social environment of language usage (Tarigan, 2020). Understanding the nuances
and consequences of language use within a particular social or cultural context
depends on social meaning. It facilitates communication and enables people to express
their identities, follow social conventions, and communicate social attitudes and beliefs.
It's important to understand that social meaning can vary between cultures and societies,
and that diverse view and life experiences can have an impact on how language is
received.
In summary, according to Leech's theory, social meaning is the cultural and social
connotations and implications that words or phrases have. It includes stylistic social
meaning as well as evaluative and affective social meaning. An essential aspect of
connotative meaning is social meaning, which is important for language interpretation
and communication in a particular social or cultural setting. From data source, the most
meaning found in the data source was social meaning. The data were analyzed and
discussed in the following description:

Pantau parkir liar terus, jangan pedagang liar aja yg diurus

The social meaning of the phrase "pantau parkir liar" reflects a social action that
involves monitoring or supervising illegal parking to maintain order and compliance with
traffic rules.

Suruh aja besok yang punya mobil itu parkir di langit-langit Kota Padang, pak,
ndak ada tu yang keganggu

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 From the sentence above the social meaning reflects the social implications
related to the proposed solution to the parking problem in the city of Padang by
suggesting that the car be parked on the ceiling. This highlights the need for
insufficient parking spaces and avoids interference with the environment or other road
users.

Yang lebih rutin lakukannya, biar jalan lancer

This sentence reflects the importance of carrying out an action on a regular basis to
maintain the smoothness of traffic or regularity in the use of roads. It highlights the social
aspects linked to the collective responsibility to maintain the order and smoothness of the
roads.

Mobil-mobil yang parkir di badan jalan seperti di depan plaza andalas dan pasar
raya juga harus ditindak tegas

This sentence reflects the need for enforcement of rules related to inappropriate
parking or violation of rules on road bodies. This highlights the social aspects related to
awareness of the importance of maintaining traffic order and providing smooth access for
other road users.

Reflective Meaning
Geoffrey Leech's concept of reflective meaning relates to language's metalinguistic
component. It involves employing words to discuss language itself. Reflective meaning is
used when speakers or writers are considering the words, grammar, communication, or
any other linguistic features. Reflective meaning enables people to talk about, examine,
and remark on how they choose to use language and other linguistic situations. It requires
more complex analysis of language and its properties.
Reflective meaning is a term used to describe the meaning that results from the
interaction between language and the reality or environment it represents. It pertains to
how language reflects or represents features of the outside world, such as objects, events,
things, and attributes, as well as relationships. Understanding how words, phrases,
and sentences communicate meaning and how that meaning relates to the outside world
is the main goal of semantics. Examining the relationship between linguistic terms
and the ideas or things they actually refer to is reflective meaning.
Here are a few more examples to demonstrate reflective meaning as the second-
most frequent type of meaning according to the data source, after social meaning:

Ini dia biangnya, angkut saja pak

This statement reveals the commentator attitude and shows that advice or actions
were chosen based on prior knowledge or habits.

Semua jalan dong, jangan yang didepan basko aja, sangat meresahkan

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 The reflective meaning from the sentence reflects the attitude or view of the
commentator who expresses dissatisfaction or concern for the parking situation that
only occurs in front of Basko. It expresses a desire to reduce the discomfort or
annoyance experienced by local residents.

Saya lihat jembatanpun dipakai untuk parkir dulu

The reflective meaning of this sentence reflects the commentator’s observation of

unusual or unexpected parking practices on the bridge. It reflects the commentator’s view
regarding the inappropriateness of such actions and invites reflection on the norms and
appropriate behaviour in using public space.

Collocative Meaning
Geoffrey Leech defined collocative meaning as associations or typical word
combinations that regularly occur together. It incorporates the notion that some
words naturally appear together and that their combination provides additional meaning
beyond the meanings of the words used individually. The idea of collocation, which refers
to the regular pairing of words in a language, is significantly connected to collocative
meaning. These word combinations are frequently created by use patterns and cultural
norms.
The semantic concept of collocational meaning, commonly referred to as collocative
meaning, focuses on the associations and patterns of word combinations or collocations.
It deals with the meaning that results from a language's typical or typical word pairings.
Collocations are words that regularly and naturally appear together in language. They
combine to create particular patterns or combinations that native speakers frequently
use. The regularity and predictability of these word pairings give birth to
collocational meaning, where the presence of another word modifies or influences the
meaning of the first word. The limitations and preferences of collocational usage
between words can be used to examine collocative meaning. Strong collocational
tendencies refer to the frequency with which some words are consistently associated with
other terms.
Collocative meaning contributes to the complexity and accuracy of language use. It
helps in expressing certain subtleties, implications, or cultural associations that result
from the regular word pairings. It is common for native speakers of a language to be
aware of collocational patterns and to make intuitive decisions about the best word
pairings based on such collocations. For language learners, understanding collocative
meaning is important because it helps them use words and expressions naturally and
appropriately for the situation. By comprehending the recommended collocations and
avoiding unnatural or mismatched word combinations, it helps learners in developing
fluency and authenticity in their language use. The data that classified as collocative
meaning was described in the sample sentences:

Kalau ingin menambah kas daerah tindak seluruh mobil yang parkir sembarangan
pak. Termasuk nan parkir dakek lampu merah payah awak belok kiri dek e. buek
macet iyo lo jadinyo. Jan angek-angek cik ayam pak kalau ka menertibkan pak.
Rutin

In this sentence connects the words" angek-angek "and" cik ayam " which in
everyday language in minangkabau language are used together to convey a message or
tone that contains special meaning.

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CONCLUSION
It may be inferred from the discussion above that the comments on Infosumbar's
Instagram account included five different semantic meanings. They were collocative
meaning, social meaning, reflective meaning, connotative meaning, conceptual meaning,
and social meaning. Social meaning was the most used type of meaning (43.70%).
Collocative meaning was determined to account for the lowest percentage of analysis
(4%). There are two semantic meaning categories that the data source cannot be found
both conceptual and affective meaning.
According to the meanings that were most frequently found, it can be concluded
that most Instagram users prefer to use social meaning while delivering their
messages in the comments section. Social meaning helps us interpret and understand
language within specific social contexts. It allows us to consider the social norms, cultural
values, and shared knowledge associated with a particular communication situation. By
considering the social meaning of words and expressions, we can better grasp the
intended messages and avoid misunderstandings.

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