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Reflexivity in English, French and Kinshasa Lingala: Similarities and Differences
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2019
Pages:
1-7
Received:
15 March 2019
Accepted:
22 April 2019
Published:
15 May 2019
Abstract: Dunker [15] asserts that “linguistic reflexivity is a feature of the communication process, and it essentially depends on situated participants and time. It is a defining characteristic of the human language but despite its obvious importance, it is not very well understood theoretically, and it is strangely under-researched empirically”. Reflexivity exists in English, French, and Kinshasa Lingala. In all these languages, reflexivity is expressed by reflexive pronouns, reciprocal pronouns, reflexive verbs, and ergative verbs. The position and use of these pronouns and verbs differ from one language to another. Therefore, this article attempts to examine reflexivity in each of these languages in order to point out similarities and differences. The focus is on the use of reflexive pronouns, reciprocal pronouns, reflexive verbs, and ergative verbs in English, French, and Kinshasa Lingala. This article is based on observation, interview, and contrastive analysis which allows to sort out similarities and differences between languages. Observation was used during people’s talk on buses, at markets, on radios, and in avenues. An interview was prepared for some people in the Kinshasa community especially teachers. The results show that English, French, and Kinshasa Lingala use pronouns to express reflexivity. Reflexivity is expressed through the use of reflexive pronouns which have different positions in these three languages. In English, they occur in the object position. In French, they occur after a personal pronoun subject and before the verb. In Kinshasa Lingala, they occur in the verbal prefix position. As far as reciprocal pronouns are concerned, in English a reciprocal pronoun is used without reflexive pronoun whereas in French, reciprocal pronoun is optional and it is used with reflexive pronoun. In Kinshasa Lingala, the reciprocal pronoun is suffixed to the verb. It is a bound morpheme. Reflexivity is expressed by ergative verbs in English, French, and Kinshasa Lingala. In English, no reflexive pronoun is used with ergative verbs. In French, ergative verb is used with a reflexive pronoun “se”. In Kinshasa Lingala, the ergativity is expressed by the bound morpheme –ma or –mi. In conclusion, the similarities are at the level of the use of reflexive pronouns, reciprocal pronouns, and ergative verbs. Whereas the differences appear in the position occupied by the reflexive components. In English, reflexive pronouns and reciprocal pronouns occur in the object position. In French, they occur between the subject and the verb. In Kinshasa Lingala, the reflexive pronoun occurs in the verbal prefix position. Reciprocal pronoun occurs in the suffix position. Ergativity is expressed by –ma/-mi in the suffix position.
Abstract: Dunker [15] asserts that “linguistic reflexivity is a feature of the communication process, and it essentially depends on situated participants and time. It is a defining characteristic of the human language but despite its obvious importance, it is not very well understood theoretically, and it is strangely under-researched empirically”. Reflexivi...
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Aural/Oral Performance of Children with Cochlear Implant Under Monaural and Bimodal Listening Conditions: A Parental Evaluation
Pooja Waghulde,
S. B. Rathna Kumar,
Sakeena Shora,
Zahra Kabani
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2019
Pages:
8-13
Received:
24 March 2019
Accepted:
26 April 2019
Published:
20 May 2019
Abstract: The study assessed the performance of children with cochlear implant (CI) under monaural and bimodal listening conditions using Parental Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) questionnaire. A total of 74 children using CI and their parents (either of the biological parent) served as subjects in the present study. The subjects were further divided into two groups based on mode of stimulation used in CI. Group I consisted of children using monaural stimulation in CI i.e. unilateral CI (monaural group). Group II consisted of children using bimodal stimulation in CI i.e. CI in one ear and hearing aid in opposite ear (bimodal group). The results revealed that the subjects of both groups performed significantly poorer under noisy listening conditions compared to quiet listening conditions. The subjects of both the groups performed similar under quiet listening environment. Although, both the groups performed similar under quiet listening condition, the subjects of bimodal group demonstrated significant improvement in aural/oral performance as compared to the subjects of monaural group under noisy listening environment. Thus, it can be inferred that bimodal stimulation in CI provides additional benefits as compared to monaural stimulation in CI especially under noisy listening environments. The findings of the present study complement the existing objective test results which have reported positive outcomes from bimodal stimulation in CI recipients.
Abstract: The study assessed the performance of children with cochlear implant (CI) under monaural and bimodal listening conditions using Parental Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) questionnaire. A total of 74 children using CI and their parents (either of the biological parent) served as subjects in the present study. The subjects wer...
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The Representation of Women in the Horror Movies: A Study in Selected Horror Movies
Manaar Kamil Sa'eed,
Haider Saad Yahya Jubran
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2019
Pages:
14-17
Received:
8 April 2019
Accepted:
25 April 2019
Published:
20 May 2019
Abstract: Horror can be defined as an intense and painful fear, dread or dismay. It evokes and elicits such kind of emotions in the reader, when rendered in television or cinema. It is a literary genre, which is intended to terrify its readers by calling to mind the feelings of terror and horror. Men are depicted as the slaughterers and victimize women in all kinds of ways. Women in general have a crucial part in most of the horror movies and all the time depicted as the main character in the movie for certain important reasons. The aim of this research is to explore the role of women in the conjuring by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes and The Scream by Kevin Williamson. The study is divided into two sections and a conclusion. Section one deals with a historical background about the horror genre in movies while section two intends to look at the role of women in the horror movies by analyzing the conjuring and the scream. The study ends up with conclusions which sum up the main findings of the research.
Abstract: Horror can be defined as an intense and painful fear, dread or dismay. It evokes and elicits such kind of emotions in the reader, when rendered in television or cinema. It is a literary genre, which is intended to terrify its readers by calling to mind the feelings of terror and horror. Men are depicted as the slaughterers and victimize women in al...
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A Linguistic View on the Use of Will and Shall as Auxiliaries or Inflections
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2019
Pages:
18-22
Received:
15 March 2019
Accepted:
17 April 2019
Published:
4 June 2019
Abstract: In the English grammar lessons, will and shall are taught in schools and universities as modal verbs. Almost all famous grammarians confirm that will and shall are modal verbs. Modal verbs are considered as auxiliaries apart from the main or primary auxiliaries be, have, and do. Considering the definitions and characteristics of auxiliaries and inflections, a deep understanding of will and shall is required. This paper examines the definitions and characteristics of both auxiliaries and inflections and the uses of will and shall in order to know whether will and shall are auxiliaries or free inflections of the Future Tense. However it is worth mentioning that time is divided into past, present, and future. In modern English, almost grammarians say that there are two tenses in English namely present tense and past tense. According to them, the future tense does not exist. They believe so simply because there is no inflection for future tense; the futurity is expressed through modal verbs (will and shall). Generally speaking, modal auxiliaries help lexical verbs to express a variety of meanings, different attitudes, such as mood, aspect, etc. whereas inflections help verbs to express tenses. For instance, -ed is a bound inflection that helps regular verbs express the simple past tense. The –s is also a bound inflection that expresses the third person singular in the Simple Present Tense whereas –Ø is an invisible inflection which expresses the first persons (singular and plural), second persons (singular and plural), and the third person plural of the Simple Present Tense). Is there any inflection for the Future Tense? This paper is an attempt to answer this question.
Abstract: In the English grammar lessons, will and shall are taught in schools and universities as modal verbs. Almost all famous grammarians confirm that will and shall are modal verbs. Modal verbs are considered as auxiliaries apart from the main or primary auxiliaries be, have, and do. Considering the definitions and characteristics of auxiliaries and inf...
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Semantic Shift in the Kenyan Prison Argot
Ogutu Peter Okoth,
Oluoch Stephen,
Opande Nilson Isaac
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2019
Pages:
23-29
Received:
29 March 2019
Accepted:
15 May 2019
Published:
13 June 2019
Abstract: Prison argot is a language variety with great creativity manifested in its semantic richness. This variety of language has received the attention of many scholars in the western countries in different periods of time. Despite prison being a rich semantic vessel, prison lingo has not received the proper attention of linguists in Africa. The end result is that very few linguistic conclusions have been reached regarding this variety of language in Kenya. The main aim of this paper is to examine the semantic shift in the Kenyan prison argot based on the lexical pragmatic framework. The paper provides an overview of this subject matter by analyzing the various types of semantic shifts through definitions and example of the argot terms affected. The processes involved in the case of semantic change include lexical narrowing and lexical broadening with some of its varieties namely; metaphoric extensions and hyperbole. The study was carried out at Kibos and Kisumu maximum-security prisons in Kisumu County, Kenya. Forty respondents were selected to participate in the study. In lexical broadening, standard Swahili words were found to have been given additional meaning in the prison context. In lexical narrowing, the semantic meaning of some Swahili words were found to have been narrowed. The paper established that the inmates change the meaning of words in the prisons so as to hide secretes from the prisons officers.
Abstract: Prison argot is a language variety with great creativity manifested in its semantic richness. This variety of language has received the attention of many scholars in the western countries in different periods of time. Despite prison being a rich semantic vessel, prison lingo has not received the proper attention of linguists in Africa. The end resu...
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