Department of African Languages

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Account-giving in the narrative of farming in isiXhosa
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-03) Ralehoko, Refilwe Vincent; Dlali, M.; Zulu, N. S.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
The purpose of this study is to examine message production and image restoration in the narratives of isiXhosa-speaking farming communities. According to Gergen (1994), narrative forms – such as the stability narrative, progressive narrative and regressive narrative – are linguistic tools that have important social functions to fulfil. Gergen (1994) further indicates that self-narratives are social processes in which individuals are realised on the personal perspective or experience. The self-narratives used and analysed in this study portray the contemporary, truth-based elements of a well-formed narrative. Narrative accounts are also embedded within social action; they render events socially visible and typically establish expectations for future events because the events of daily life are immersed in narrative. The study starts by laying the foundation for the reasons why human beings tell stories and why stories are so important in people’s daily lives, since most people begin their encounters with stories at childhood. Possibly because of this intimate and long-standing acquaintance with stories from childhood, stories also serve as critical means by which human beings make themselves intelligible within the social world. This study further examines the motivations and conditions for account-giving in isiXhosa. Accounts are similar to narratives and can be retained at the level of private reflections for others to read, to be educated and to learn from and to refer to from time to time. Gergen (1994) considers self-narratives as forms of social accounting or public discourse. In this sense, narratives are conversational resources, their construction open to continuous alteration as interaction progresses. The study elaborates on this phenomenon, especially in the narrative accounts of the various isiXhosa stories that were collected and analysed. What emerges from the analyses is that the individual characters whose stories are told are portrayed as moving through their experience, dealing with some conflict or problem in their lives and, at the same time, searching for a resolution. It also emerges from the collection of these various isiXhosa narratives that they sharpen our understanding of the major stressful situations in each person’s mind and how the individual reasons about the difficulties encountered in life. The narratives prove, in this regard, to be a cultural resource that serves social purposes, such as self-identification, self-justification, self criticism and social solidification. In this sense then, for an account to be true, it has to be goal-orientated and relate to people’s day-to-day lives. The study finds that the social-interactive aspects of account-giving involve severe reproach forms, including personal attacks and derogatory aspects, which elicit defensive reactions resulting in negative interpersonal and emotional consequences.
Account-giving in the narratives of abuse in isiXhosa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005) Mokapela, Sebolelo Agnes; Dlali, M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the theoretical work in articulating the motivations and conditions for account-giving in isiXhosa in relation to image restoration. This emotional and behavioural rehabilitation is done through accounts. In this context, accounts are similar to narratives and can be retained at the level of private reflections or written as diary entries or for others to read and refer to from time to time. The account-making process according to Warren (1989), is like a "life in motion" in which individual characters are portrayed as moving through their experiences, dealing with some conflict or problem in their lives and at the same time searching for a resolution. It is then this quest to understand the major stresses in each individual's mind that is at the core of this study. The why questions that are the result of the daily experiences of destitution, depression, death, disability, etc., are also addressed here. The importance of the intelligibility of accounts is established with reference to Schank and Abelson (1977) who contend that people construct accounts based on their knowledge structure approach, causal reasoning and text comprehension. Thus, for an account to be hounered, it has to be goal-oriented and coherent. In this study, the social-interactive aspects of account-giving are investigated and it is discovered that severe reproach forms involving personality attacks and derogatory aspects, elicit defensive reactions that result in negative interpersonal and emotional consequences. The mitigation-aggravation continuum is then examined with regard to the selection of the failure management strategies. Narrative accounts based on Mcintyre (1981) form the basis of moral and social events and as such, stories have two elements through which they are explored. They are explored firstly in the way in which they are told and secondly, on the way they are lived in the social context. These stories follow a historically or culturally based format and to this effect, Gergen (1994) suggested a narrative criteria that constitute a historically contingent narrative form. Narrative forms are linguistic tools that have important social functions to satisfactorily fulfil such as stability narrative, progressive narrative and regressive narrative. According to Gergen (1994), self-narratives are social processes in which individuals are realized on the personal perspective or experience, and as such their emotions are viewed as constitutive features of relationship. The self-narratives used and analysed in this study portray the contemporary culture-based elements or segments of a well-formed narrative.
Account-giving in the narratives of personal experience in isiZulu
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006-12) Zulu, Corrine Zandile; Dlali, M.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
This study explores the theoretical work in articulating the motivations and conditions for account-giving in Isizulu. In this situation, accounts are similar to narratives and can be retained at the level of private reflections or written as diary entries or for others to read and refer to from time to time. The importance of the intelligibility of accounts is established with reference to Schank and Abelson (1977) who contend that people construct accounts based on their knowledge structure approach, causal reasoning and text comprehension. Thus, for an account to be honored, it has to be goal-oriented and coherent. In this study, the social-interactive aspects of account-giving are investigated and it is discovered that severe reproach forms involving personality attacks and derogatory aspects, elicit defensive reactions that result in negative interpersonal and emotional consequences. Narrative accounts based on McIntyre (1981) form the basis of moral and social events and as such, stories have two elements from which they are explored. They are explored firstly in the way in which they are told and secondly, on the way they are lived in the social context. These stories follow a historically or culturally based format and to this effect, Gergen (1994) suggested narrative criteria that constitute a historically contingent narrative form. Narrative forms are linguistic tools that have important social functions to satisfactorily fulfill such as stability narrative, progressive narrative and regressive narrative. According to Gergen (1994), self-narratives are social processes in which individuals are realized on the personal perspective or experience, and as such their emotions are viewed as constitutive features of relationship. The self-narratives used and analyzed in this study portray the contemporary culture-based elements or segments of a well-formed narrative.
Account-giving in the narratives of personal experience in Sepedi
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006-12) Sekhoela, William Godwright; Dlali, M.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
The study on accounts examines how people account for the activities and experiences through our personal stories emanating from how they behave in the community, and because of the past stories they tell. The study thus provides an examination of accounts as well as account-giving. It provides a scientific understanding of the value and impact of personal stories and story-telling in people’s lives. The problem experienced in relation to accounts relates to how accounts impact on people and vice versa. One hypotheses of this study on accounts relates to the nature of the process associated with people’s presentation of personal account to others. The aims and objectives of this study crucially relate to providing an analysis and understanding of accounts. The research method used in this study provides a basis to the analysis and understanding of accounts in the sense that individuals who were interviewed in the process, provided informative accounts of their childhood stories, some of whom were not aware that they have or had an impact on their daily lives. The main findings of the research provide insights into accounts. The findings are informative and contribute to theory development as regard account-giving, including factors relating to deference and respect. The recommendation that given in this work is that personal stories have a scientific merit in terms of a comunication-theoretic approach to narratives, as shown in the study.
Active, passive and neuter-passive verb constructions in Oshindonga: Argument alternation and event structure properties
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Shiwanda, Simon; Visser, Marianna W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African languages.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the argument alternations and event structure properties of active, passive and neuter-passive of various verb classes in Oshindonga and also to develop a more formal syntactic and semantics approach which is equally relevant in differentiating the passive from the neuter-passive. This study take into account the traditional aspectual semantic classification postulate in Vendler (1957) further developed in (Smith, 1997). These aspectual approaches are invoked for the reason that the two alternants in the neuter-passive and passive alternation in Oshindonga are associated with aspectual verb class differences. The syntactic decomposition approach is employed in order to provide a principled account for the phenomena in which arguments in passive and middles are assumed to be derived from the common detransitivisation base. The middle and passive variants are supposed not to represent each other in a deriviational relationship. This approach, however, assumes that the event structure of word meanings is constructed from two major elements; the eventive predicates indicating causation (CAUSE), action (ACT) and change of state (BECOME) and the other element is indicating idiosyncratic aspects (Beaver, 2012:332). The data contained in this study includes sentences constructed using various verb classes as proposed by Levin (1993), viz. verbs of change, verbs of communication, verbs of existence, experiencer verbs, verbs of contact, motion verbs, verbs of creation and weather verbs (cf. Du Plessis 1998). The findings of the study reveals that two types of alternations are identified in Oshindonga. These alternations are decided by the verb roots, and not by thier semantic classes. The first alternates comprise of the subject argument that appears with subject NPs. The second alternates, the subject argument NPs are not morphlogically marked, thus they appears with null subject. The findings of the present study demonstrate that in Oshindonga a single verb displays distinct aspectual behavior when used in passive and neuter-passive alternations, regardless of their common properties in terms of argument realization and alternations. The findings of the study further revealed that the classification of verbs roots in Oshindonga is semantic since different verbs classes are distinguished by the different properties of the events in their denotations. In addition, other sentence elements such as; tense aspects and predicate modifications play an important role in deciding the aspectual classes of the verb. However, this study has established that although some non-alternate verbs in Oshindonga such as pya, do not alternate, others such as pepa have satisfied the diagnostic test.
The adjective in isiZulu
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-12) Mngadi, Nomusa Esther; Du Plessis, J. A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
ENGLISH SUMMARY: This study deals with the syntax as well as the semantics of the adjective in isiZulu. The categories with the meaning of an adjective which may be used to modify a noun are identified. It is seen that the adjectival stems in isiZulu are very few. The need of the adjective is therefore also supplied by other categories such as the nominal relative, the copulative with na, the copulative with NP, the stative verb and the descriptive possessive. An overview is given in Chapter 2 of the views of earlier linguists such as Bhat, Dixon, Gross, Jones, Radford, Quirk, Doke, Du Plessis and Mabaso on the category: adjective. Dixon's prototypes are used in the classification of the semantic types of the above mentioned categories. The detailed account of the adjective, the nominal relative as well as the descriptive possessive is given. The semantic features and the distribution of these types in a phrase are looked at in depth. Nominal relatives have a descripting meaning like adjectives although they can be distinguished from adjectives in that they always have inflection and secondly a relative does not have a prescribed number of stems from which it can be formed but it can be formed by the use of stems from other categories such as Noun (N). Chapter 5 gives an exposition of the descriptive possessive. It is seen that noun phrases may appear as complements of nouns. The possessive [a] in descriptive possessive constructions has no possessive meaning, instead it has a descriptive meaning. This [a] can be treated in the same way as the English of.
The adjective in Tshivenda
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000-04) Mutheiwana, Humbulani Doris; Du Plessis, J. A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study the adjective constructions in Tshiven~a are investigated within a set of criteria in order to characterize the adjectival category and to differentiate it from other categories. An adjective can be defined as a word which modifies a noun that prototypically denotes visible or tangible objects. Different linguists give different accounts which deal with criteria for adjectives where they give attention to prototype and certain multiple criteria. Dixon establishes seven different semantic types under which the adjectives can be grouped, e.g. one of them is dimension. It has been established by Schachter that there are languages that have no adjectives at all, in which the meanings that they express are conveyed by nouns or verbs. In other words what is universal is not adjectives but to modify, or elaborate on the meaning of a noun. Morphological adjectives are marked by a noun class prefix on the adjectival stem. The prefix agrees in class with the noun to which it refers. Morphological adjective can appear attributively and predicatively. When adjectives are used attributively in Tshivenda they usually appear as " complements of a noun. But when they are used predicatively, they occur in copulative constructions. Syntactic evidence relates to the fact that different categories of words have different distributions. Adjective can not be identified by looking at it in isolation, because the form of a word does not necessarily indicate its syntactic function. Descriptive possessives as semantic adjectives describe the noun they refer to in a way that is different to that of possessives. The descriptive part can be shown as the head of the noun and can also be shown as a complement of possessive [-a-] where they indicate location, time, event and gender.
The adjective in Xhosa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001-03) Bottoman, Ntombesizwe; Du Plessis, J. A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages .
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Adjectives in Xhosa represent a small, closed class of descriptive nominal modifiers, which are categorized as the adjective because of their morphological behaviour, i.e. they all have to appear with the prefix of the noun which is the head of the Noun Phrase. There are other nominal modifiers in Xhosa, which may have the same descriptive function as the small class of morphological adjectives. Attention focuses on the relative clauses and descriptive possessives. The term "Adjective" in Xhosa includes the semantic adjective. Various scholars define the adjective as a distinct category by establishing specific criteria for. Semantic prototypes with noun, adjective and verb types, i.e. semantic types according to Dixon (1991) are considered. Semantic types in Xhosa may also have this feature. The following categoreis have been considered: morphological adjective, descriptive possessive, relative clauses, i.e. nominal relative clauses and the verbal relative clauses. With regard to the morphological adjective: Some basic notions on the morphological adjectives, specifically the morphology of adjectives, adjectival phrases, the distribution of the adjectives, comparison and the co-ordinated adjectives, and the definite morpheme are dealt with. The following values have been dealt with regarding the structure of the relative clause, i.e. the nominal relative clause with the definite morpheme [a], the copulative verb and the nominal relative complements of the copulative verbs. Two issues have been discussed in the case of the descriptive possessive: firstly, where the descriptive part is the head of the Noun Phrase with meanings such as groups, nouns denoting quantity, cardinal numbers, the partitives, units of measure and mass, humans with the features of psychological and physical features, the infinitive clause, and secondly, the descriptive part is the complement of the preposition [-a-].
Adjectives in Northern Sotho
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000-04) Mphasha, Lekau Eleazar; Du Plessis, J. A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates the adjective in Northern Sotho. The entire research indicates that adjectives form a closed system and are morphologically marked with a noun class prefix in Northern Sotho. Three semantic categories of adjectives which may be recognized are descriptive, quantitative and colour adjectives. Chapter One is the introduction of the research. The introductory sections which appear in it are purpose and aim of study, method of research, organization of the study, definitions of the concepts and derivation of adjectives. Chapter Two concentrates on the semantic adjective. Semantics deals with the study of words origins~ changes and meanings. Attributive (prenominal) adjectives tend to denote fairly permanent properties, while predicative ones denote the corresponding transient properties as in the following examples: (1) a. The shirt is loose (not buttoned) b. The loose shirt (not fitting properly) (2) a. The apparatus are handy (conveniently at hand) b. Handy apparatus (useful apparatus) Adjectives can occur in comparative and exclamatory constructions. Two types of adjectives may also differ from one another in that the one involving conversion does not take degree modifier or comparative, whereas the one not involving conversion can have either of them occurring with them: (3) a. The strong should help the weak b. The very strong should help the weak (4) a. The cup is big b. The cup is too big Chapter Three evolves on the formation and structure of adjectives in Northern Sotho. This chapter introduces a wide range of word building elements used to create the adjective structure. Emphasis is put on the adjectival prefixes, adjectival stems and adjectival suffixes which are the constituent elements of the adjective. Only the adjectival stems are reduplicable and have usually an intensified meaning. This implies that the adjectival prefixes and adjectival suffixes, in terms of their position and function, cannot be reduplicated. There are also some restrictions in the use of adjectives. The main concerns are the nature of word-formation processes and the ways in which wordformation interacts with syntax, semantics and lexicon. Chapter Four exemplifies the descriptive possessive in full. As a matter of clarification, no possessives have been discussed in this chapter. Descriptive possessives and possessives are two different aspects. In this chapter, various aspects which make up the descriptive possessives are also discussed in detail. Chapter Five deals with the nominal relative clause. The head is always the noun in all the nominal relative clauses. The matrix and the relative clauses are given under physical features, psychological features, habits, skills, taste and natural phenomena. The distribution of a relative is also indicated. Attention is based on the complement of a noun and position in a clause. Chapter Six is the concluding chapter which gives the summary of all the previous chapters.
African languages in a new linguistic dispensation : challenges for research and teaching at universities
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-04) Visser, Mariana
Marianna Visser was born in 1957 and matriculated at Framesby High School in Port Elizabeth. Her tertiary studies commenced in 1976 at Stellenbosch University, where she obtained her BA in 1978, and her BA Honours (cum laude) in 1979, MA (cum laude) in 1981, and DLit in African languages in 1987. Her first academic position was at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, where she was appointed as lecturer from October 1981 to March 1986. In April 1986 she returned to her alma mater as lecturer in the Department of African Languages, where she later was promoted to senior lecturer and associate professor. She has served terms as Chair of the Department of African Languages and as Vice Dean (Languages) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Since 2012 she has been appointed as professor in African languages. Marianna has read papers at various international conferences on African linguistics in South Africa and abroad. She has published in the field of syntax of the African languages, including the book Xhosa syntax, which she co-authored. She has also published in the field of second/additional learning and teaching of the African languages and she is a former editor of the South African Journal of African Languages. Her research interests further include genre-based literacy development at secondary school level and in tertiary education, genre studies, and the language of evaluation and appraisal in a variety of discourse contexts. She has been intensively involved in academic programme design for African languages and has supervised numerous master’s and doctoral studies.
An analysis of account on love affairs in IsiZulu
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-03) Shabalala, Brian Christian Thamsanqa; Dlali, M.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
This study explores the theoretical work in the articulation of the motivations and conditions for account-giving in isiZulu. In this context, accounts are similar to narratives and can be retained at the level of private reflections or written diary entries or for others to read and refer to from time to time. The account-giving process, according to Waldron (1997), is like a “life in motion” in which individual characters are portrayed as moving through their experiences, dealing with conflicts or problems in their lives and, at the same time, searching for resolutions. It is the quest to understand the major stresses in each individual’s mind that is at the core of this study. The why-questions that are the result of the daily experiences of destitution, depression, death, disability, etc. are also addressed here. Narrative accounts form the basis of moral and social events and, as such, stories have two elements through which they are explored. They are explored from the point of view of, firstly, the way in which they are told and, secondly, the way in which they are lived within a social context. These stories follow a historically or culturally based format and, to this effect, Gergen (1994) suggests narrative criteria that constitute a historically contingent narrative form. Narrative forms are linguistic tools that have important social functions to fulfil satisfactorily, such as stability narrative, progressive narrative and regressive narrative. According to Gergen (1994), self-narratives are social processes in which individuals are realised on the personal perspective or experience and, as such, their emotions are viewed as constitutive features of relationship. The self-narratives used and analysed in this study portray the contemporary culture-based elements or segments of a well-formed narrative.
An analysis of account on marriage in isiXhosa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008-12) Somlata, Zakhile; Dlali, M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
This study deals with the analysis of accounts of marriages in isiXhosa. Gergen (1994) proposes the following aspects that such narratives should cover: structure of narrative account; narrative form; self-narrative: process; pragmatics of self-narrative, interknitting of narratives, and emotion. Each of the listed aspects has its own variants. The variants will be dealt with in Chapter four, where Gergen’s theory is being summarised. The proposals Gergen (1994) made are central and significant in this research, since the narratives that have been given by five Xhosa-speaking married persons will be analysed according to his theory on self-narratives. This research seeks to verify the validity of Gergen’s (1994) theory of narratives in the Xhosa context. The research has been conducted by involving five Xhosaspeaking married persons. Each person had to give his or her account of marriage in line with the topic of this research, namely, the analysis of accounts of marriage in Xhosa. After narratives had been collected, an analysis of each narrative has been done in Chapter five of this research. The analysis reveals how each narrative reflects the following: the structure of the narrative account, narrative form, selfnarrative: process, pragmatics of self-narrative, practices of self-narratives, and emotions, as suggested by Gergen (1994). Analyses vary from one narrative to another because an account of married life varies from one person to another. Bakhtin (1981) suggest that the words that narrators use are inter-individual. The understanding of social morals, values, norms, justice, and the history of the community by the narrators enables them to be intelligible in their narratives. It is therefore crucial that this study be pursued in the Xhosa language because narratives are socially embedded. The narratives in this study could assist people to think correctly about the marriages in the Xhosa context. The issue of marriage affects all people, despite language diversity, and it is therefore proper that this study be conducted in all languages. If this is not done, others may think that the findings from this research is applicable to the Xhosa-speaking community only. The analytic part of this research would help communication practitioners and language practitioners to analyse narratives in their languages in the same manner as they have been analysed from Xhosa narratives. This research analysis would assist developing communicators to grow into competent communicators.
An analysis of persuasive messages in Shona family set-up
(2018-12) Mutsvairo, Jack; Dlali, Mawande; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African languages.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Persuasion is an interesting, integral yet complicated communication field that has received little research in Shona. Persuasion in Shona family set-ups has shown that conversation partners engage in arguments and counterarguments that result in either the success or failure of the compliance-gaining attempts. Of much interest are the message dimensions of explicitness, dominance and argument which characterise these persuasive messages. An understanding of how and why compliance-seeking and -resisting strategies are used may help persuaders like advertisers, politicians, family counsellors, teachers, and evangelists to promote cohesion in families. Findings in this study will be useful to the study of persuasion by future students. Also, the knowledge of Shona persuasion may come in handy when non-Shona speakers engage in persuasive conversations with Shona-speaking people. This qualitative research study analyses interview notes, audio recording transcripts and observation persuasive messages in Shona family set-ups. For the first two, content analysis is done. For persuasive messages, source arguments and target arguments are identified and compared, and then the clinching compliance-seeking argument or compliance-resisting argument for the influence goal is identified, followed lastly by an analysis of the message dimensions. The study found out that a range of compliance-seeking and -resisting strategies are used by different members of both nuclear and extended families when they pursue certain influence goals. It also found that the sequencing of compliance-seeking strategies differs depending on the influence goal the source will be pursuing and the relationship of the influence interactants. The study also found that proverbs, clan praise names, reference to the Bible and silent treatment are strategies used habitually by Shona persuaders. My hope is that my research findings will stimulate interest among persuaders to improve their persuasive skills since it has shed light on the use of persuasive strategies among the Shona. Students of persuasion will find it as pioneer work from which they will launch further investigation in this area.
An analysis of the sports promotion text in Xhosa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000-12) Mbena, Siphokazi Grissel; Visser, M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores how the theoretical framework pertaining to reading as advanced by Davies (1995) can be employed to develop reading skills in Xhosa and to assist learners to see reading as a process. Teaching reading to language learners has many problems. The critical thinking relevant to reading and analysis of the text in teaching reading are examined. The study explores the current genre approach in the analysis of Xhosa Bona Magazine with its articles. The research of certain scholars like Davies, Wallace, Swales, and Cope and Kalantzis will be explored, in particular, the hierarchy of five levels of text, as advanced by Davies. Reading is an integral part of the school curriculum, and to use reading texts depends on the purpose for which the educator wants to use it, i.e. to develop reading comprehension skills, to present new vocabulary and structures, or as a basis for language practice. This study examines reading in Outcomes-base Education (O.B.E.) as a current issue in South African education, to determine how the specified outcomes relate to the framework for the development of reading skills.
Appraisal and evaluation in Zimbabwean parliamentary discourse and its representation in newspaper articles
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03) Jakaza, Ernest; Visser, M. W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: “Unofananidza Jesu naKombayi here? (Lit. Are you comparing Jesus with Kombayi?) (Condolences on the death of Senator Patrick Kombayi, 28th July 2009, Appendix B4, line 350) This Shona interjection during the debate on the motion on condolences on the death of Senator Patrick Kombayi (MDC- T) in the Zimbabwean parliament presents the speaker stance taking, appraising and strategically manoeuvering advancing certain argumentative positions. Considering the impact of the outcome of these debates on governance, discourse- analytic researches have to be carried out in order to explore the sorts of appraisal and argumentation principles that are realised. This study makes a multifaceted theoretical approach to a comprehensive exploration of debates and speeches in the Zimbabwean parliament and their representation in newspaper articles. The appraisal theory, the extended pragma- dialectic theory of argumentation and controversy analysis have been integrated to uncover important linguistic insights on parliamentary discourse and news reporting. The analysis is based on a corpus of debates and speeches in the Zimbabwean parliament within the period 2009 and 2010. Another corpus consists of newspaper reports on these debates and speeches in this period. A thematic approach informed by theoretical principles is utilised in the selection of reports, debates and speeches. Firstly, I examined parliamentary discourse. Focus have been on the critical discussion model, argumentative strategies- forms of strategic manoeuvering, how the dialectic- rhetoric relation can be understood, how appraisal resources are realised in the argumentation process and on examining how appraisal resources employed reflect the type of a debate or speech. Secondly, I explored newspaper articles from four Zimbabwean newspapers reporting on the same themes on debates and speeches. Focus has been to make comparative analysis of news reporting examining how appraisal resources are utilised in the representation of parliamentary discourse in different newspapers (independent versus government or state owned newspapers and English versus Shona newspapers) and to examine the nature of argumentation and strategic manoeuvering principles that are utilised in news reporting and how controversial (divergent) debates or issues are represented. This multifaceted analysis offered varied dimensions in the exploration of parliamentary discourse and news reporting and expansions of the appraisal and argumentation theories.
Argument quality in Tanzanian parliamentary discourse in Kiswahili in budget speeches and debates
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-12) Nyanda, Davis; Dlali, Mawande; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
ENLGISH SUMMARY: The present study examines the nature of argument quality properties in Tanzanian parliamentary discourse in Kiswahili. The study applies the pragma-dialectical theory to analyse two Annual Budget Speeches (ABS) and debates about the speeches. The study focuses on the manifestation of three arguments in the ABS and the related debates: argument from cause and effect, argument from authority, and argument from example. The corpus of two ABS and the related debates in the Tanzanian parliament included in the analysis is based on the 2011/2012 Tanzanian annual budget parliamentary sitting. The data analysed was obtained from the Tanzanian National Assembly Hansard records (both printed and electronic versions). In the pragma-dialectical theory, there are stipulated criteria for evaluating whether arguments are properly applied in argumentative discourse such as parliamentary speeches and debates. The study specifically examines the extent to which ministers and MPs utilise the three arguments in the ABS and the related debates, and the extent to which these arguments conform to, or deviate from, the criteria established in the pragma-dialectical theory. The research further investigates the strategic manoeuvring the ministers and MPs make in the ABS and the related debates in their efforts to influence their target audience. The study covers several facets of the pragma-dialectical theory in the analysis of the ABS and the related debates. However, a flexible application of the criteria postulated in the pragma-dialectical theory for evaluating the three arguments is demonstrated, rejecting strict application of the criteria as proposed in the theory. The study reveals that the three arguments vary in the extent to which the ministers and MPs apply them. Argument from authority appears in a few instances in one of the speeches and the debates. In the case of argument from example, it is applied to a certain extent in one of the speeches and the debates. The analysis further indicates that argument from cause and effect is frequently utilised in the ABS and the related debates. In addition, the analysis shows that the ministers and MPs (re)package their arguments in such a way that would convince their target audience to accept them. The ministers and MPs achieve this by manoeuvring strategically in terms of topical potential, adaptation to audience demand and presentational devices. The current study suggests various dimensions of the pragma-dialectical theory could be enriched. These include making the theory less prescriptive in the evaluation of arguments, expansion of the evaluation criteria related to argument from authority, and expansion of the theory to recognise variation in the extent to which arguments are utilised in argumentative discourse such as parliamentary discourse.
Argument realization, causation and event semantics in Kiwoso
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-12) Mallya, Aurelia; Visser, Marianna W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the properties of change of state and change of location/position verbs in relation to argument realization, (anti-)causative alternation, and event semantics in Kiwoso. To execute this study, firstly, a representative sample of change of state and change of location/position verbs as outlined by Levin (1993) were identified with regard to their syntactic and semantic characteristics. The data were gathered through introspections, complemented by other native speakers’ acceptability judgements, and text collection. The study adopts syntactic decomposition approach as postulated by Alexiadou et al. (2006, 2015) and Alexiadou (2010). Given that an adequate explanation of the syntactic behaviour of alternation constructions in Kiwoso is contingent on aspectual verb class distinctions, Vendler's (1957) aspectual approach as developed further by Verkuyl (1972) and Smith (1997) is invoked. The two approaches are supplemented by Distributed Morphology, Minimalism, and Cartography. Research on the (anti-)causative alternation focuses on two central issues: firstly, the lexical semantic properties that determine verbal alternations, and the derivational relationship between the alternates, and secondly, the similarities between (anti-)causative, passive, and middle alternations. This study demonstrates that both externally and internally caused change of state verbs, as well as change of location/position verbs productively alternate in Kiwoso. The findings of the study establish that participation of verbs in (anti-)causative alternation is determined by the encyclopaedic lexical semantics of verb roots. The results illustrate that the causative variants of externally caused change of state verbs in Kiwoso are morphologically marked, but the anticausative alternates are unmarked. The study demonstrates further that both causative and anticausative variants of internally caused change of state, and change of location/position verbs are morphologically unmarkedin Kiwoso. The study findings demonstrate that categorization of verb roots into semantic and aspectual verb classes is mainly determined by an incremental theme argument, and the grammatical aspect. In addition, the findings establish that an applicative suffix has an effect on the aspectual property of change of location/position verbs in Kiwoso. The results of the study demonstrate that realization of an external argument is determined by the lexical semantic property of verb roots. The findings establish that verbs which denote human-oriented events realize an agent and instrument arguments, but not causers, whereas other verbs realize agent, instrument, and causer arguments. The findings demonstrate that anticausative, passive, and middle constructions are syntactically similar in that they do not express the syntactic external (subject) argument, but they are semantically different aspects. The general findings of the study suggest that alternating verbs in Kiwoso are compositionally built in the syntax. This makes derivational approaches inadequate in accounting for the properties of these verbs. Therefore, the study adopts the family of generative syntax approaches which adequately account for the properties of these verbs in alternation constructions.causer arguments. The findings demonstrate that anticausative, passive, and middle constructions are syntactically similar in that they do not express the syntactic external (subject) argument, but they are semantically different aspects. The general findings of the study suggest that alternating verbs in Kiwoso are compositionally built in the syntax. This makes derivational approaches inadequate in accounting for the properties of these verbs. Therefore, the study adopts the family of generative syntax approaches which adequately account for the properties of these verbs in alternation constructions.
The argument structure of deverbal nominals in Venda
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1994-03) Mandoma, Thiathu Joseph; Visser, M. W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
ENGLISH SUMMARY: This study investigates the structure of deverbal event nominals in Venda. The central aim of this study is to investigate the syntactic projection or realization of arguments in the argument structure of the deverbal event nominals. The properties of these structures will be investigated in full. The event nominals used will be derived from a diversity of verbs, monotransitive verbs, ditransitive and intransitive verbs. The data that will be used in this study have been collected from Venda, although reference is made to English examples, more especially in section two (2). It will be demonstrated that the argument structure of the deverbal event nominals in Venda is similar to the argument structure of the related active verb. The difference between the two is that there is a visible external argument assigned by the verb phrase, whereas a similar external argument does not occur with deverbal event nominals. All the arguments of the deverbal event nominals appear within the maximal projection of the nominals in question. They occur in the postnominal position, either as complements of the genitive a or any salient preposition. Just like in English, some theta-roles are assigned by prepositions in the argument structure of deverbal nominals in Venda. The only difference is that the argument structure of the deverbal event nominals in Venda may have bare NPs, that is, arguments which are not preceded by a genitive a or any preposition may occur and still carry their theta-roles. However, arguments immediately adjacent to the deverbal event nominals must be preceded by a preposition or the genitive a. It will be demonstrated that ambiguity occurs in instances of omission or alternation of arguments. This occurs especially when the remaining argument is animate (that is if the argument projected in a syntactic position is animate or have human control ambiguity arises in the thematic interpretation if any other argument is not realized). There is also a relationship between the argument structure of deverbal event nominals and control theory. An implicit argument or an overt argument in the argument structure of deverbal event nomina1s may successfully serve as the controller of the PRO subject of infinitival clause.
Argumentation in doctor-patient consultations in EkeGusii: A pragma-dialectical approach
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12) Basweti, Nobert Ombati; Visser, Marianna W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts Social Sciences. Dept. of African languages.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation investigates the argumentative discourse of (Eke)Gusii doctor-patient consultations in Kenya using the framework of the extended pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation. The study particularly investigates how Gusii doctors and Gusii patients strategically manoeuvre in resolving differences of opinion through the analysis of simulated medical consultations in (Eke)Gusii. The data for the research constituted transcripts of audio recordings of twelve consultation simulations conducted in (Eke)Gusii involving Gusii doctors and Gusii simulated patients with already diagnosed cases of HIV and AIDS, diabetes or cancer at The Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital, a public hospital in Kenya. The analysis conducted employed the pragma-dialectical method which entailed the interpretation, reconstruction and evaluation of the dialogues. Utilising the model of critical discussion, the study also assessed the display of communication accommodation and attitudinal aspects of evaluative language use in strategic manoeuvring in doctor-patient consultations. This multiperspective study establishes that the interplay of the macro contextual exigencies of contemporary western medicine and the traditional Gusii sociocultural belief system concerning illness, which determine the nature and properties of strategic manoeuvring in the (Eke)Gusii doctor-patient consultation give rise to a hybrid of genres of consultation and persuasion. Displaying explicit and invoked evaluative language, the Gusii doctors and Gusii patients continually exploit linguistic and psychological convergence or divergence in their choice of presentational devices to accommodate the institutional constraints of the two institutions and realising the composite institutional point. The study identifies and characterises the prototypical pattern of argumentation in the Gusii medical consultation, as one in which Gusii doctors and Gusii patients employ pragmatic argumentation as the main argumentation to defend a desirable effect of a prescriptive standpoint. The findings of the study indicate that symptomatic argumentation or other pragmatic arguments entail the support argumentation pattern for both parties but with diverse sources of authority. The sociocultural, macro and discursive contextual circumstances of the Gusii medical consultation determine the supporting argumentation and responses to the critical questions of pragmatic arguments. The study concludes that argumentation in the (Eke)Gusii medical consultation presents empirical evidence for the enhancement of the strategic manoeuvre design of the extended pragmadialectical theory with elements of evaluative language use and communication accommodation.
Argumentation involving account-giving and self-presentation in tanzanian parliamentary debates: a praga-dialectical perspective
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12) Msagalla, Brighton Phares; Visser, Marianna Wilhelmina; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigatesthe actual argumentative reality in the resolution ofdifferences of opinion involving account-giving and self-presentation in Tanzanian parliamentary debatesin Kiswahili. The research data that are analysed in this study come fromthe Hansard transcripts of the official proceedingsof the annual ministerial budget debates which were collected in their original form from the website ofthe Tanzania’s Bunge(www.parliament.go.tz/hansards-list).The study concentrateson three annual parliamentary debates from the last three years of President Kikwete’s second term of presidency. Following a systematic reconstruction of the selected data, the analysis focuseson thedebateson the constitutional review processin Tanzania, the ‘controversial issues’of the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, and the annual budget speech in the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children. In the analysis ofthe selected debates, the study employsthepragma-dialectical theory of argumentation as the main theory and anaccount-giving model as a complementarytheory. The findings of the study indicatethatthe first three stages of the (critical)discussions in all the three debatesexemplify, to a greater or lesser degree,the proposedpragma-dialecticalstages of a critical discussion. However, the concluding stage in all the three debates isnot materialised in the manner proposed by the theory. As regards the code of conduct, while there arecases where the rules are observedin all the three debates (e.g. the freedom rule), instances of ruleviolation (e.g. the relevance rule) arealso found. The findings further suggest that MPs employ various modes of strategic manoeuvring from all the three aspectsof topical potential, audience demand, and presentational devices. For instance, MPs’ presentational devices includethestrategic use of accusation of inconsistency, evasion, metaphors (and other figurative expressions), narratives, personal attacks, quotations, and rhetorical questions. Concerningthe prototypical argumentative patterns,theministers’ prescriptive standpoints are,atthe first level of defence,justifiedby either pragmatic argumentationin coordinative argumentationor pragmatic argumentation andsymptomatic argumentationin coordinative or multiple argumentation. In the next levels of defence, pragmatic and symptomatic argumentation arejustifiedby various (sub)types of argumentation, including authorityargumentationfrom statistics(or statistical argumentation), argumentation from example, and causal argumentation. In regard tothe argumentative style, the ministers’ argumentative style seems to exemplify a strategic combination ofdetached and engaged stylesand the argumentative style by the opposition’sspokespersons and other MPsexemplifies an engaged style. Moreover, all the four account-giving strategies (plus silence) are manifested in the ministers’ accounts offailure events as theministersaccept, deny, or evaderesponsibility.

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