published_or_final_version / English / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Chinese / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

No description available.

Written texts of Navajo and Western Apache speakers in English revealed rhetorical patterns which seem to be tied to the native languages. The theoretical framework of interlanguage is used to analyze language transfer of two rhetorical features at the discourse level: (1) rhetorical redundancy and (2) narrative technique. Both features can be viewed as fossilizations of discourse which are forced upon the surface of written Navajo and Western Apache English interlanguage by the process of language transfer. Rhetorical redundancy exists in Navajo and Western Apache for emphasis and is transferred to English discourse as emphasis by the repetition of lexical items, syntactic strings and sentential paraphrases. The purposes for rhetorical redundancy in Navajo and Western Apache English interlanguage include the emphasis of emotional concerns, clarifications, and conventions of courtesy. A discourse rule is suggested which summarizes rhetorical redundancy transfer. Narrative technique in Navajo and Western Apache English interlanguage involves idiosyncratic tense shifting patterns at the discourse level. Navajo and Western Apache speakers seem to transfer the semantics of Navajo and Western Apache modes and aspects to English tenses. It is suggested that Navajo and Western Apache speakers find standard English tense usage inadequate for their underlying narrative discourse motivations. The Navajo and Western Apache usitative mode, imperfective mode, and continuative aspect are expressed through the English present tense. The Navajo and Western Apache perfective mode is realized in English through the past tense. The Navajo and Western Apache progressive mode, optative mode, iterative mode, and repetitive aspect surface in English as two possible nonstandard forms of the progressive aspect. A set of three mode and aspect transfer rules at the narrative discourse level is suggested.

No description available.

No description available.

In this study, standard and non-standard isiZulu varieties are compared and contrasted. While standard isiZulu is proved to be treasured, it is not very well known or spoken among young urban and rural isiZulu speaking learners. The socio-historical development of isiZulu is examined in order to account for the dichotomy between ‘deep’ and ‘urban’ isiZulu. ‘IsiZulu esijulile’ [‘deep isiZulu’] and ‘isiZulu sasedolobheni’ [‘urban isiZulu’] are terms found useful to describe the differences. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the characteristics of standard and non-standard language in general and standard and non-standard isiZulu in particular are discussed. The empirical section of this thesis is based on a multi-method approach, that is, one hundred rural and urban learners are the participants of this study. This investigation suggests that the dichotomy between urban and rural varieties is not as stark as initially proposed (Mesthrie, 2002). / Thesis (M.A.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of English

This study describes the grammar of the Idaacha dialect of Yoruba in the areas ofphonology and morphophonemics within the framework of generative phonology and the autosegmental approach. In particular, it builds upon Kouyomou's (1986) major work, Phonologie de la langue Idaasha, and argues that the language has eighteen consonants, /b/,/m/, /f/, /t/, /d/, /s/, /n/, /1/, /r/, /c/, /j/, /j/, /k/, /g/, /kp/, /gb/, /w/, /h/, and twelve vowels, /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/, /c/, /o/, /a/, r/, /u/, /E /, /o/, /a/.Particular attention is paid to vowel harmony (VH) and tones. It is argued that the high vowels, /i/, r/, /u/, and /u/ do not participate in this process. As one would expect, VH rules do not apply across word boundaries; they apply before processes such as contraction, abbreviation, and compounding. In regard to tones, it is pointed out that a three-way tonal system is a major characteristic of the language. However, a phenomenon of M/L neutralization is underlined in a specific environment: a final low tone in a verb followed by a direct object noun. In this environment, a low (L) tone changes to mid (M), but the M/L alternation is optional before an initial low-toned noun.In addition to describing these phonological processes, this work examines the morphophonemics of the language. It argues that, like Standard Yoruba (SY), Idaacha hasopen syllables: V and CV. Therefore, words are shaped as VCV, CVCV, VCVCV, and longer lexical items build upon these basic sequences. Morphemes are described with special reference to derivational processes. The issue of prefixation is discussed, and it is claimed that, besides the existing nominalizing prefixes, one cannot prove convincingly, on the basis of synchronic analysis, that the initial vowel in every VCV noun is a prefix. The morphophonemics of nominals is described with regard to associative constructions, noun compounding, verb-noun contraction, and deverbal nouns. / Department of English