published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Also available in print.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

The Qatifi dialect of Arabic is spoken by a minority group located principally in Qatif, near Dhahran, in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Codeswitching in the Qatifi community describes the alternation, within discourse, between two local codes, such as switching from the Qatifi Arabic to either the Qatifi secret G, S, and T languages or to Classical and Modern Arabic, on the one hand. On the other hand, it describes the alternation between local and foreign codes, such as switching from the Qatifi Arabic to English, Farsi, and Broken Arabic pidgin.The Qatifi speakers frequently use the G, S, and T secret languages, which represent phonological variations in Qatifi Arabic according to particular rules. These secret languages are used by the Qatifi people to establish political solidarity, to secure social norms, or to insure discretion.Codeswitching from the Qatifi dialect to other local or foreign codes also affirms the social identity and personal pride of individuals taking part in informal conversation. It is important therefore to understand the social constraints of the society where it is found, and how it works within the linguistic rules of the source language and the mainstream communicative system. Codeswitching as spoken by the Qatifi middle class community identifies particular member of this minority group.The aim of this thesis is to explain codeswitching occurring between theQatifi dialect of Arabic and other language varieties. Using data drawn mainly from personal interviews with Qatifi natives, I investigate the type of code used in variable conversational settings and the interaction among the Qatifi trusted or non-suspicious members. / Department of English

This study investigated the pragmatics of codeswitching from FuSHa Arabic, the high variety of Arabic (FA), to Aammiyyah Arabic, the low variety or vernacular (AmA), in the most formal type of discourse, namely religious-oriented discourse.The study posited the following five hypotheses:1) CS occurs with considerable frequency in religious discourse; 2) these switches are communicatively purposeful; 3) frequency of CS is related to the linguistic make-up of the audience addressed, 4) to the AmA of the speaker, and 5) to the section of the discourse delivered.To carry out the investigation, the researcher analyzed 18 audio and videotapes of religious discourse, delivered by 13 Arabic religious scholars from different Arab countries. Ten of these tapes were used exclusively to show that CS occurs in religious discourse. The other eight tapes were used to investigate the other hypotheses. The eight tapes involved presentations by three of the most famous religious scholars (from Egypt, Kuwait, and Yemen) delivered 1) within their home countries and 2) outside their home countries.Three of the five hypotheses were supported. It was found that: CS from FA to AmA occurred in religious discourse with considerable frequency; these switches served pragmatic purposes; and the frequency of the switches higher in the question/answer sections than in the lecture sections.Analysis showed that codeswitches fell into three categories: iconic/rhetorical, structural, and other. The switches served numerous communicative functions, some of which resemble the functions found in CS in conversational discourse.One finding was the relationship between the content of the message and the attitude of the speaker toward or its source. Generally, what the speakers perceived as [+positive] was expressed by the H code, and whatever they perceived as [-positive] was expressed by the L code. Scrutiny of this exploitation of the two codes indicated that FA tended to be utilized as a means of upgrading, whereas AmA was used as a means of downgrading. / Department of English

Thesis (doctoral)--Uppsala universitet, 1983. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (p. 186-197).

Thesis (doctoral)--Uppsala universitet, 1983. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (p. 186-197).

The present study seeks to investigate the linguistic behavior of two Newari high castes, called Shresthas and Udas, living in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, in their use of Newari, the ethnic language, and Nepali, the national language. Specifically, the study attempts to explain the hypothesis that the Hindu (Shrestha) Newars are becoming monolingual in Nepali while the Buddhist (Udas) Newars are maintaining their bilingualism in Nepali and Newari. To do so, a questionnaire was distributed to a total of 96 subjects, selected through quota sampling procedures. The questionnaire not only elicits information about the situational and societal variation in the subjects' use of Newari and Nepali but also reveals their attitudes and opinions about the differential use of these languages. Also, the participant observation method was employed to supplement and validate the responses derived from the questionnaire survey.The results from this study suggest a diglossic behavior in the Udas' use of Newari and Nepali, which, however, is remarkably different from those found in classic diglossic settings. This, in turn, leads to a reexamination of Ferguson's concept of diglossia. The Shresthas, on the other hand, frequently alternate between Newari and Nepali regardless of situation. Such linguistic differences between these two groups are related to their varied social networks and relationships; the Udas Newars' greater use of Newari is due to their closed social networks while the Shresthas' greater use of Nepali is due to their open social networks.The data on the analysis of the subjects' attitudes and opinions toward Nepali and Newari indicate that the Udas Newars are positive and favorable toward Newari while the Shresthas are ambivalent in their opinions toward these languages. This study, therefore, emphasizes a strong need for bilingual education in the country.The results of the present study show that the Udas' use of Newari exclusively at home and with children is a major factor in its retention. Among the Shresthas, it is rapidly losing ground to Nepali. Newari then is gradually dying away among the Shresthas, and will continually do so in the absence of institutional support. / Department of English

Esta dissertação trata de code-switching e footing na sitcom estadunidense Friends. Tanto a troca linguística como o posicionamento identitário são elementos de análise da Sociolinguística Interacional (GOFFMAN, 1981; HUDSON, 1996; DURANTI, 1997), que é a teoria basilar desta investigação. Não somente aspectos teóricos desse arcabouço são utilizados como também estudos sobre humor (RASKIN, 1979; WRIGHT, 1875), sitcom (FURQUIM, 1999; SAVORELLI, 2010; VANDAELE, 1996), multimodalidade (GOODWIN, 2010; KRESS; LEEUWEN, 1996; VIEIRA; SILVESTRE, 2015), estereótipos (LAKOFF, 1987; SCHIAPPA; GREGG; HEWES, 2005), performance (TURNER, 1987), generalização social (BLUM, 2004), dentre outros. A fim de responder ao problema desta pesquisa, que reside em entender se o code-switching e o footing são mecanismos de geração do humor na sitcom Friends, optamos pelo estudo de caso dessa comédia seriada e pela investigação dos atos comunicativos em que se fazem presentes a alternância de código linguístico e o reposicionamento identitário. O objetivo geral da pesquisa é examinar a relação entre a geração de humor e as situações em que há a presença de code-switching entre Inglês Americano e do Inglês Britânico e de posicionamento entre variedades do Inglês Americano, além de considerar o posicionamento multimodal das interações comunicativas em episódios da sitcom Friends. Os objetivos específicos são (a) identificar os construtos identitários culturais na sitcom Friends, (b) identificar as situações de code-switching na geração de humor, (c) analisar situações de code-switching e aspectos multimodais na interação comunicativa e (d) analisar os efeitos do humor, com ênfase em fatores culturais intervenientes. Com a finalidade de cumprir com esses objetivos, alicerçamos nossa pesquisa, também, nos estudos de framing (GOFFMAN, 1974), que foram identificados nas cenas em que há code-switching e footing, que foram transcritas a partir da simbologia da Análise da Conversa (SACKS; SCHEGLOFF; JEFFERSON, 1974). Os resultados demonstram que, nos episódios da série Friends que foram analisados, o code-switching e o footing são mecanismos potenciais estratégicos de geração de humor que se formam em situações plurais com diversas funções de comicidade, tais como: sátira cultural, caricaturização estereotipada, representação da realidade, dentre outras. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2017-10-25T12:01:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Gilberto Broilo Neto.pdf: 2137616 bytes, checksum: dff4b5374bbd97c9f849d7dd7b3da707 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-25T12:01:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Gilberto Broilo Neto.pdf: 2137616 bytes, checksum: dff4b5374bbd97c9f849d7dd7b3da707 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-10-25 / This dissertation is about code-switching and footing in the north-american sitcom Friends. Both the switch of language and the identity positioning are objects of analysis for the Interactional Sociolinguistics area (GOFFMAN, 1981; HUDSON, 1996; DURANTI, 1997), which is the main theory of this investigation. Not only theoretical aspects of this background are used but also studies about humour (RASKIN, 1979; WRIGHT, 1875), sitcom (FURQUIM, 1999; SAVORELLI, 2010; VANDAELE, 1996), multimodalidality (GOODWIN, 2010; KRESS; LEEUWEN, 1996; VIEIRA; SILVESTRE, 2015), estereotypes (LAKOFF, 1987; SCHIAPPA; GREGG; HEWES, 2005), performance (TURNER, 1987), social generalization (BLUM, 2004), among others. In order to solve the problem of this research, which resides in understanding whether both code-switching and footing are strategies of humour in the sitcom Friends, we opted for the case study of this situational comedy and for the investigation of the communicative acts in which the switch of linguistic codes and identity repositiong are found. The general objective of this research is to examine the connection between humour creation and the situations in which there is evidence of code-switching between American English and British English, positioning between American English varieties and the multimodal positioning of communicative interactions in episodes of the sitcom Friends. The specific objectives are (a) to identify the constructs of cultural identity in the sitcom Friends, (b) to identify the situations of code-switching in the humour generation, (c) to analyse the situations of code-switching and the multimodal aspects of the communicative act and (d) to analyse the effects of humour, highlighting the intervenient cultural aspects related to such effects. In order to fulfill these objectives, we, also, based our research on the studies of framing (GOFFMAN, 1974), which are identified in the scenes of code-switching and footing, being transcribed according to the Conversation Analysis symbolic conventions (SACKS; SCHEGLOFF; JEFFERSON, 1974). The results show that, in the episodes of the series Friends analysed, both code-switching and footing are potential strategic mecanisms to create humour formed in several situations through different comical functions, such as: cultural satire, stereotyped caricature, reality representation, among others.