This contribution examines the pragmatic approaches of definiteness in εmb?sì language. The analysis reveals that εmbsì definiteness interacts with the pragmatic principles of familiarity as regards the second mention of the entity in the discourse, and identifiability with the hearer ability to uniquely identify the entity. In addition, the study shows that the contextual use of εmb?sì definite description is subject of different functions. It refers to anaphora or situational reference, including the immediate and larger situations. εmb?sì definiteness also plays the role function and, used with a post nominal demonstrative, it expresses the discourse prominence.
References
[1]
Apondza Gombe, G. R. (2003). Esquisse Phonologique de Ndongonyama: Une Variété Dialectale Akwa. M.A. Thesis, Marien Ngouabi University.
[2]
Bedrosian, P. L. (1996). Mbochi Noun Class System. Journal of African Linguistics, 26, 27-47.
[3]
Birner, B., & Ward, G. (1994). Uniqueness, Familiarity and the Definite Article in English. In Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistic Society (pp. 93-102). Berkeley Linguistics Society. https://doi.org/10.3765/bls.v20i1.1479
[4]
Brown, R. (1973). A First Language: The Early Stages. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674732469
[5]
Chafe, W. L. (1976). Givenness, Contrastiveness, Definiteness, Subjects, Topics and Points of View. In Subject and Topic (pp. 27-55). Academic Press.
[6]
Christophersen, P. (1939). The Articles: A Study of Their Theory and Use in English. Munksgaard.
[7]
Cruse, A. (2006). A Glossary of Semantics and Pragmatics. Edinburgh University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780748626892
[8]
Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and Conversation. In P. Cole, & J. L. Morgan (Eds.), Syntax and Semantics: Speech Arts (pp. 41-58, 3rd ed.). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004368811_003
[9]
Guthrie, M. (1953). The Bantu Languages of Western Equatorial Africa. Oxford University Press.
[10]
Hawkins, J. A. (1978). Definiteness and Indefiniteness: A Study in Reference and Grammaticality Prediction. Croom Helm.
[11]
Heim, I. (1983). File Change Semantics and the Familiarity Theory of Definiteness. In P. Portner, & B. H. Partee (Eds.), Formal Semantics: Essential Readings (pp. 223-248). Blackwell Publishers Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470758335.ch9
[12]
Itoua, J. (2007). Les Mbochi au Congo: Peuple et Civilisation. l’Harmattan.
[13]
Jespersen, O. (1949). A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles. C. Winter.
[14]
Kadmon, N. (1990). Uniqueness. In Linguistics and Philosophy 13 (pp. 273-324). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00627710
[15]
Ngapoula, K. (2016). The Semantics and Pragmatics of Demonstratives in English and Embosi. M.A. Thesis, Marien Ngouabi University.
[16]
Ngapoula, K. (2019). Εmbósì Demonstratives: A Semantico-Pragmatic Account. Flaly, 7, 116-124.
[17]
Ngapoula, K. (2020). Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis of Definiteness and Indefiniteness in English and εmbósì. Ph.D. Thesis, Marien Ngouabi University.
[18]
Kouarata, G. N. (2001). Contribution à la Description Phonétique de Parler Mbochi de Boundji C25. M.A. Thesis, Marien Ngouabi University.
[19]
Lyons, C. (1999). Definiteness. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511605789
[20]
Ndongo Ibara, Y. P. (2000). The Phonology of εmb?sì: Tsambitso dialect. M.A. Thesis, Marien Ngouabi University.
[21]
Ndongo Ibara, Y. P. (2012). Embosi-English Dictionary. Peter Lang.
[22]
Obenga, T. (1976). La Cuvette Congolaise: Les hommes et les structures. Présence Africaine.
[23]
Ollasa, P. H. (1969). Phonologie du Mbochi. M.A. Thesis, Bordeau University.
[24]
York Epstein, R. (2002). The Definite Article, Accessibility, and the Construction of Discourse Referent. Cognitive Linguistics, 12, 333-378. https://doi.org/10.1515/cogl.2002.007