Thesis (M.A. (Translation studies and linguistics)) --University of Limpopo, 2010 / Refer to document

Séparé du Sud pastoral, de la capitale londonienne et d’Oxbridge par une frontière moins géographique que culturelle, le Nord de l'Angleterre a une géographie variable en fonction des besoins du discours. Une constante discursive parcourt cependant la littérature sur la région : marqué par ses rudes conditions climatiques, jadis peuplé de barbares, en butte aux invasions et ravagé par la Révolution Industrielle, le Nord serait en marge de la sphère poétique. Or, à partir des années 1960, dans le cadre d'une redécouverte des marges de l'ex-empire et d’une dissolution des frontières nationales due à la mondialisation, le Nord revendique son droit à figurer à part entière au cœur de la carte poétique. Les poésies de Basil Bunting, de Ted Hughes, de Tony Harrison, et de Simon Armitage nous invitent à parcourir ces Nords géographiques, historiques, culturels, mais avant tout poétiques. Ces quatre poètes, nés dans le Nord, ont en commun d’avoir pris une distance, sinon physique, du moins intellectuelle, avec la région, ce qui leur a permis de poser un regard critique. Le mouvement nostalgique de retour à la terre natale amorce une réappropriation sur le plan de l’imaginaire de cet espace colonisé par des discours dépréciatifs. Les poètes y découvrent une source intarissable de créativité et partent en quête d’une langue qui résorbe l’écart entre nordicité et poéticité : l'impur accent barbare devient axiome poétique. Comment cette poésie du Nord met-elle en question l'anglicité et la tradition poétique anglaise en même temps qu'elle la structure ? Si « poésie du Nord » il y a, quelles en sont les réalisations dans la voix, le rythme et la forme poétiques ? / Divided from the pastoral South, London and Oxbridge by a frontier that is less geographical than cultural, Northern England has been constructed through shifting discourses. One discursive feature though has been constantly present in the literature on the region : since the place is forbidding (not the least because of its grim weather), since it used to be populated with barbaric tribes and provided a buffer against even more barbarian invasions, since it was devastated by the Industrial Revolution, the North is excluded from the poetic sphere. Yet since the 1960s, in a context of peripheries emerging from the former empire and of national frontiers disappearing due to globalisation, the North has claimed its right to hold a central place on the poetic map. Basil Bunting, Ted Hughes, Tony Harrison and Simon Armitage have participated in reconfiguring geographical, historical, cultural, but, most importantly, poetic Norths. The nostalgic return to the region where they were born and bred reads as a creative and critical reappropriation of a space that has been colonised by derogatory discourses. The poets discover an inexhaustible source of inspiration and set on a quest for a language that would bridge the gap between northerness and poetry : their impure barbarian accent becomes a poetic axiom. How does this Northern English poetry question Englishness and the English poetic tradition while constructing them ? If « Northern English poetry » does exist, how does it show in terms of poetic voice, rhythms and forms ?

The inability to differentiate the English vowels /o/ and / O/ has become a stigmatized marker of a lower prestige and widespread dialect of Sri Lankan English. This lower prestige (LP) dialect is often referred to with the derogative phrase “Not pot English”. This study aims to investigate the production of the vowel contrast by native Sinhala speakers of English. To this end, speech samples of three adult learners were analyzed. The findings of the study are discussed according to hypotheses of the Speech Learning Model, which suggests that the existent L1 specific phonetic categories hinder the formation of new L2 sound categories. Here, sounds that are similar, but not identical to L1 sounds are considered to be the most difficult to acquire. Also, the percentage of L1 use and the age of second language acquisition seem to have influenced the production of the vowels. Finally, in order to address this pronunciation issue, an instructional framework to teach pronunciation is proposed.

This study employs African American literary criticism and critical discourse analysis to evaluate Julia Peterkin's Scarlet Sister Mary (1928) and Gloria Naylor's Mama Day (1988). These women write stories of African American life on the Sea Islands through different prisms that evoke cultural memory within and outside the texts. Peterkin, a white Southerner, writes as an "onlooker" and “pioneer” of fictional Gullah culture; Naylor, a black Northerner by birth, writes as an "outsider" to Gullah culture, although a veteran of African American Southern heritage. The authors' hybridity produce different literary voices. A close examination of their discourse conveys a coded language pertinent to understanding the historical, social, and political conditions portrayed through their texts. This study will examine their discourse to prove that Julia Peterkin’s, Scarlet Sister Mary, takes ownership over the Gullah experience rendering stereotypical characterizations promoting hegemony; while Gloria Naylor's, Mama Day, resurrects Peterkin’s view rendering multi-dimensional characterizations that legitimize the authenticity of Gullah culture and aid in its preservation.

Η παρούσα μεταπτυχιακή διατριβή έχει ως στόχο τη μελέτη του ρηματικού συστήματος του κερκυραϊκού ιδιώματος και τη διερεύνηση των ιδιαιτεροτήτων του. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο της εργασίας παρατίθενται ιστορικά στοιχεία των οποίων η αναφορά έχει στόχο να διαφωτίσει τους σταθμούς εκείνους της ιστορίας της Κέρκυρας που τη διαφοροποιούν από την υπόλοιπη Ελλάδα και που έχουν ορατό αντίκτυπο γενικότερα στη μορφολογία του τοπικού ιδιώματος και συγκεκριμένα στη ρηματική μορφολογία. Ο εκτεταμένος δανεισμός από τη διάλεκτο της Βενετίας, εκτός του ότι άφησε ανεξίτηλα τα σημάδια του στο τοπικό λεξιλόγιο εμπλουτίζοντάς το, είχε ως αποτέλεσμα την εισαγωγή νέων μορφημάτων, θεμάτων και προσφυμάτων, η δυναμική παρουσία των οποίων έχει συντελέσει κατά ένα μέρος ακόμα και στην αναδιάρθρωση του συστήματος των κλιτικών τάξεων. Από την άλλη μεριά, ο ερχομός πληθυσμών από την υπόλοιπη Ελλάδα και η εγκατάστασή τους στα χωριά της Κέρκυρας συνέτεινε στον περιορισμό της διάδοσης των δανείων στην ύπαιθρο χώρα και στην εδραίωση πιθανόν κάποιων «καθαρών» ελληνικών στοιχείων. Δεδομένου ότι οι διάλεκτοι/ τα ιδιώματα που απέχουν αρκετά από τον εθνικό κορμό π.χ. τα ποντιακά και οι διάλεκτοι των ελληνόφωνων χωριών της Κάτω Ιταλίας (Mackridge, 1997) συνήθως ακολουθούν μια κάπως ανεξάρτητη γλωσσική πορεία, δεν είναι περίεργο το γεγονός ότι η Κέρκυρα, λόγω της γεωγραφικής της θέσης, παρουσιάζει πολλές ιδιαιτερότητες στο τοπικό ιδίωμα, όπως π.χ. η διάσωση και η αδιάκοπη χρήση αρχαιοελληνικών ρηματικών τύπων στην θέση των αντίστοιχων νεοελληνικών. Στη συνέχεια από το τρίτο κεφάλαιο και εξής επιχειρείται μια αμιγώς μορφολογική ανάλυση των γλωσσικών δεδομένων. Δεχόμενη τη διάκριση των ρημάτων σε κλιτικές τάξεις που προτείνει η Ralli (1988), θα εξετάσω τις ιδιαιτερότητες που εμφανίζει το κλιτικό παράδειγμα στο κερκυραϊκό ιδίωμα και τις αποκλίσεις του από την Κοινή Νέα Ελληνική. Στηριζόμενη στην ανάλυση της Ralli (2005) σχετικά με το ρόλο της θεματικής αλλομορφίας ως προς τη διαμόρφωση του κλιτικού παραδείγματος και την επακόλουθη τάση για ομαλοποίηση του συστήματος, θα εξετάσω τον τρόπο με τον οποίο λειτουργεί η θεματική αλλομορφία στο κερκυραϊκό ιδίωμα και τις επιπτώσεις που έχει στο ρηματικό σύστημα, εξετάζοντας την τάση για αναδόμηση του συστήματος των κλιτικών τάξεων (4ο κεφάλαιο). Στο 5ο κεφάλαιο, θα αναφερθούμε στο ιδιαίτερο φαινόμενο της υποχρεωτικής αύξησης στους παρελθοντικούς χρόνους που εμφανίζονται στο ρηματικό σύστημα του κερκυραϊκού ιδιώματος. Το επόμενο κεφάλαιο είναι αφιερωμένο στην Παραγωγή. Αφου παρουσιαστούν τα συνήθη παραγωγικά επιθήματα, θα γίνει μια εκτενής αναφορά στο δάνειο επίθημα –αρω που παρουσιάζει ιδιαίτερα υψηλή παραγωγικότητα. Τέλος, στο παράρτημα της εργασίας, αναφέρομαι στις γραπτές πηγές που χρησιμοποίησα για να συλλέξω τα απαραίτητα γλωσσικά δεδομένα. / The main aim of this master thesis is to investigate the particularities that are observed in the dialect of Corfu concerning the verbal system. The corfiot dialect is a member of the Ionian Sea dialects in Greece. Due to its historical background, the island of Corfu has followed a separate route, which influences dramatically the spoken language until today and differentiates it from Standard Modern Greek. This master thesis is orientated to morphological analysis. It is divided into six chapters. The first two chapters are introductory and afford information about the historical background, emphasizing on the extended borrowing coming from the dialect of Venice, and the main discernible dialectal characteristics of the today spoken language in Corfu. The next four chapters are dedicated to morphological analysis. Having noticed the main divergencies that are observed in the inflectional paradigm in the local dialect, I will examine the factors that play a crucial role in the formation of the corfiot inflectional paradigm. Having taken into serious consideration the proposal of Ralli (1988) concerning the verbal classification according to which the allomorphic pattern that verbs present classifies them into two main classes, and the proposal of Ralli (2005) referring to the way that the allomorphic pattern determines the reconstruction of the system of inflectional classes (functioning as an inflectional class demarcator), I will try to apply these proposals to my linguistic data coming from the Corfiot verbal system. Furthermore, having ended the morphological analysis for the trends that are visible and concern Inflection, I will examine the obligatory presence of the verbal augment in the corfiot dialect. In the sixth chapter, I will make some comments on the productivity of several derivational suffixes and I will focus my interest on the extremely productive derivational suffix –aro (which has italian origin). At the end of this master thesis, there is an extended appendix, in which I refer to the written material on which I based my morphological analysis.

Within-population behavioural variation can greatly affect the ecology of a species and the outcome of evolutionary processes. This study aimed to determine how variable sperm whale social and vocal behaviour is between both individuals and their social units. The population of whales off Dominica is small and isolated from communities in neighbouring waters. Female and immature whales live together in social units containing about 7 animals. I analysed their social relationships and their ‘coda’ communication signals using an unparalleled dataset of social and vocal interactions at the level of the individual. Within units, calves were significant nodes in their social unit’s network, and thus I provide quantitative support for the hypothesis that communal calf care acts as the primary evolutionary driver for group formation in this species. Social relationships within and between units were diverse, while the spatial spread of individuals within units and their travel speeds were similar among all of the units. I identified long-term patterns of association between units consistent over decadal time scales. Social units had characteristic vocal repertoires, but all were dominated by the ‘1+1+3’ and ‘5R’ coda types. Differences between units resulted from some units using specific 4-click coda types. Units and individuals used different accents on their ‘5R’ codas, but the ‘1+1+3’ coda was stereotyped across all individuals and units studied. The repertoires of different units were as similar as units within vocal clans in the Pacific. My results support the hypothesis that the ‘5R’ coda may function in individual identification. The stability of the ‘1+1+3’ coda may be the result of selection for a marker of clan membership. Individual repertoires differed consistently across years; and contrary to an existing hypothesis, new mothers did not vary their repertoire to be more distinct after giving birth. However, calves did use a class-specific ‘3+1’ coda. In summary, sperm whale social and vocal behaviour vary between individuals and among units. Variation in the social and vocal behaviour of female sperm whales results from a trade-off between individuality and conformity within units and clans.

Questa dissertazione e imperniata sulla parola masca, che denota un personaggio popolare e antichissimo di genere femminile, riscontrabile esclusivamente nel folclore e nella letterature della regione italiana del Piemonte. Si attribuisce a questo personaggio la facolta rarissima di esercitare tanto il bene che il mate, a seconda de¡ casi. / La tesi si basa su ricerche storiche e linguistiche che traggono i loro dati dai recessi piu remoti della civilta celtica in territorio piemontese, dove essa e prosperata dall'inizio del 4° secolo a.C. fino al 1° secolo della nostra era, epoca alta quale questa regione fu inglobata dall'impero romano. / Basandosi su dati storici e archeologici, la ricerca prende atto di un substrato celtico persistente e profondo nella cultura e nella tradizione piu antiche del Piemonte. In modo particolare si concentra l'attenzione sulla derivazione dei personaggio della masca da una figura religiosa dei Druidi, venerata fervidamente dai Celti, i quali attribuivano a questa divinita il dualismo tipico (bene-male) che si riscontra nel personaggio oggetto di questo studio. / In seguito si traccia il discrimine tra la masca e le streghe demoniache con cui la prima e spesso e del tutto erroneamente confusa ed associata. Una volta tracciata questa distinzione si possono riallacciare i legami tra la masca e il suo sacrale pristino ove ('equilibrio sotteso tra bene e mate e permanente e inestricabile dagli attributi fondamentali della dea celtica centrale, la Grande Madre. / Le ricerche etimologiche per appurare l'origine della parola masca non fanno che confermare la dualita e l'equilibrio tra il bene e il mate inevitabilmente compresente in questa parola e nel personaggio ch'essa denota. / Si passa in rassegna la tradizione orale e la letteratura del Piemonte (tanto in lingua piemontese che in lingua italiana) per, inventariare i diversi significati che possono assumere questa parola e questo personaggio. Si perviene a dimostrare che la dicotomia di valori e di poteri contrastanti insiti nella religione dei druidi rimane ad un dipresso la stessa nel personaggio delta masca. Ci si puo imbattere in questo dualismo di valori opposti e antitetici anche in altri personaggi del folclore piemontese, strettamente connessi alta masca, quali il mascon, i1 setmin o anche in personaggi mitologici, come la faja, il faunet e il servan. / La somma di queste prove letterarie, folcloriche, archeologiche e filologiche avalla l'attribuzione di un carattere unico, non demoniaco, al personaggio della masca, che riannoda strettamente la letteratura e la tradizione orale del Piemonte alta religione dei druidi e al passato celtico, fornendo altresi scorci preziosi su uno dei capitoli piu oscuri del passato delle etnie europee.

Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, YEAR. / Title from screen (viewed on August 26, 2009). Department of English, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Jane E. Schultz, Jonathan R. Eller, Robert Rebein. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-83).

Ce travail de thèse est consacré à l’étude des programmes télévisuels diffusés sur la chaîne de télévision publique France 3 Alsace, de 1966 à 2008. Quel est le sens social, voire identitaire, de la présence de telles émissions, alors que la grande majorité des téléspectateurs potentiels comprend au moins une langue standard ? En quoi ces émissions sont-elles un reflet du plurilinguisme régional ? Quelle image de l’Alsace véhiculent-elles, notamment par le biais de la langue ? L’étude s’appuie sur un corpus de plus de 2000 émissions mis à notre disposition par l’Institut Nationale de l’Audiovisuel (INA), dont nous présentons le contenu en retraçant l’histoire de la télévision régionale. Après avoir élaboré un cadre théorique à la croisée de disciplines tant linguistiques (dialectologie, sociolinguistique) que sociologique (sociologie des médias, sciences de l’information et de la communication), nous présentons la démarche méthodologique employée pour l’exploitation de notre corpus. A l’issue de cette étape, nous retenons sept émissions, transcrites et analysées sur les plans formels et linguistiques, de manière à obtenir des éléments de réponse à nos questions de recherche. / This doctor’s thesis aims at discussing the programs in dialect on the Alsatian public television network (France 3 Alsace), from 1966 to 2008. The following questions are dealt with: what sense does their presence make, since most of the regional audience understands one or more standard languages? To what extent do these programs reflect the regional multilingualism? What do they show of the Alsatian region, especially through the use of the dialects? This study is based on a corpus of more than 2000 programs archived by the National Audiovisual Institute (INA), which we introduce by telling the story of the regional television. After building a theoretical framework mixing linguistic and sociologic approaches, we discuss the methodological issues about how to define a « dialectal program », and which ones are going to be analysed in a (socio)linguistic way. We then proceed to the formal and linguistic analysis of a selection of 7 programs that are transcripted and commented on with a special focus on social representations, in order to get answers to our main research questions.

As a multilingual and multicultural island, Cyprus has been segregated based on religion, identities, communities, and nationalities. In 1974, this segregation became a physical division of the island. After twenty-nine years of division, in 2003 April 23rd , the borders or in other words, the check-points were opened, and the two biggest communities of the island; Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, have been put in contact again. The phenomenon that the both communities were put in contact again also brought the question of language along with. This thesis investigates the evolution of the language policies and planning (LPP) in Cyprus. This research has found that since the beginning of the first crossings, English language has been functioning as Lingua franca, and being spread across the divide. The research analyzes the evolution of the LPP under three categories; A) Politics and Language Policies and Planning in Cyprus, B) Civil Society and Language Policies and Planning in Cyprus, C) Education and Language Policies and Planning in Cyprus. The results of the research have shown that the both sides (North and South) are willing to achieve a Greek and Turkish bilingual Cyprus, whereas the current situation points out that the lack policies and planning along with cooperation between the two...