JEFRI ANDOIS FAOT Pengarang FRANSISKUS BUSTAN Dosen Pembimbing 1 SELFIANA P MBADI Dosen Pembimbing 2 Dewi I.N. Bili Bora, S.Pd.,M.Hum Penguji 2 Selfiana P. Mbadi, S.Pd., M.Pd Penguji 1 Prof. Dr. Fransiskus Bustan, M.Lib Ketua Penguji

This study aims to analyze the application of SPEAKING Concept by Dell Hymes in the speech of Hel Keta traditional ritual in Puna Village, Polen District, South Central Timor Regency. The research method used is a descriptive qualitative by analyzing Hel Keta ritual speech through direct observation and interviews with traditional elders in the research place. Based on the research results, it was found that the application of SPEAKING Concept in the Hel Keta ritual can be analyzed through several elements, namely Setting and Scene, Participants, Ends, Act of Sequence, Keys, Instrumentalities, Norms of Interaction, and Genre. The function of each element of SPEAKING according to Roman Jacobson reveals the existence of referential function, phatic function, conative function, emotive function, poeticfunction, and metalingual function in various aspects of the Hel Keta ritual. This study also found symbolic meanings in each element, such as the river as a symbol of purification, participants as messengers of reconciliation, and the use of mu'it and beba as symbols of conflict termination between tribes. The results of this study show that the Hel Keta ritual functions not only as a traditional ceremony, but also as a means to convey moral, cultural, and inter-tribal reconciliation messages through meaningful verbal communication. Keywords: SPEAKING Concept by Dell Hymes, Traditional ritual speech, Hel Keta, Function, Meaning