A Semantic-Template Analysis of Peunajôh in Nagan Raya Aceh

This study explores the diversity of Peunajôh that are found in Nagan Raya, Aceh. It analyses the variety of Peunajôh as an Acehnese snack food by applying the semantic templates which are developed within the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) framework, with semantic primes as its foundation. This provides an analytical approach for examining lexical categories. Wierzbicka’s (2015) work on artifacts provides the conceptual basis for treating Peunajôh as a culinary artifact, which Fitrisia (2019) adapted to traditional cuisine. This descriptive qualitative study collected data through semi-structured interviews with five elderly informants (aged 56–90) and field observations in Lhok Rameuan Village, Suka Makmue District, Nagan Raya, Aceh. Data were analysed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014). The analysis identified 52 unique Peunajôh lexical types and grouped their uses into four overlapping functional domains: Peunajôh Uroe Raya (religious and festive food), Peunajôh Khanduri Adat (customary ceremonial food), Peunajôh Khanduri (life-event ritual food), and Peunajôh Ie Sirap (everyday subsistence food). This means a single type of Peunajôh serves not only one functional domain. Systematic culinary variation occurs through changes in ingredients, fillings, and naming patterns, such as Leupek varieties, which reflect humans’ creative ability to create food styles. Therefore, culinary traditions are not static, the community preserves the form and identity of traditional foods while simultaneously making creative modifications based on available ingredients, specific needs, and cultural contexts. Peunajôh functions not only as food but also as a medium for social relations, cultural knowledge, and intergenerational heritage transmission. The findings concluded that Peunajôh functions not only as sustenance but also as a symbolic medium for expressing Acehnese identity, values, and social relations. Documenting this traditional snack food contributes to heritage preservation through the scientific study of language and food from a culinary linguistic perspective.