Analyses of suicide notes have been conducted from varied perspectives in both linguistics and psychology. Not only have these studies added considerable value to the study of suicide, but they have also enriched the field of forensic linguistics. By analysing suicide notes, researchers are able to speculate about the state of mind of a suicidal individual from a psychological perspective, as well as gain insights into the characteristics of this genre from a linguistic perspective. Studies of suicide notes that are most relevant to forensic linguistics are those that compare authentic and fabricated suicide notes to determine whether these types of suicide notes may be distinguished from one another. Although the literature on suicide notes includes multiple studies that consider the differences between authentic and fabricated suicide notes, none seems to consider the fact that there might not be distinct differences between these types of suicide notes. Past studies also do not seem to consider that it might not be possible to determine whether a single suicide note is authentic or not. The present study fills this gap by considering authentic and fabricated suicide notes as indistinguishable texts. In this study, appraisal theory is used as the main theory of linguistic analysis to prove that authentic and fabricated suicide notes do not have distinct linguistic characteristics that can be used to differentiate them and that aiming to authenticate suicide notes might be a very risky and problematic undertaking. The results indicate that based on the theories and methods discussed in this thesis, it is not possible to successfully distinguish between authentic and fabricated suicide notes. It appears that, overall, the suicide notes included here would be more suited to analyses aimed at determining authorship identification or verification than analyses aimed at authenticating suicide notes. Accordingly, the study contributes not only to research concerned with the analysis of suicide notes but also to that concerned with forensic linguistics. Furthermore, the study includes analyses of South African suicide notes, and specifically Afrikaans suicide notes, which has not been attempted in previous research. / Tshekatsheko ya mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya e dirilwe go tswa mahlakoreng ao a fapanego ka go bobedi dithutapolelo le dithutamahlale tsa menagano. Dinyakisiso tse ga se tsa oketsa boleng bjo bogolo fela go dinyakisiso ka ga ditiragalo tsa go ipolaya, eupsa di humisitse gape lekala la dithutapolelo tsa mabapi le batho bao ba ipolailego. Ka go sekaseka mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya, banyakisisi gape ba kgona go akanya mabapi le seemo sa monagano sa motho yo a ipolailego ka lehlakoreng la tsa menagano, gammogo le go hwetsa tsebo mabapi le dipharologantshi tsa mohuta wo wa sengwalwa ka lehlakoreng la dithutapolelo. Dinyakisiso tsa mabapi le mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya tseo di nyalelanago kudu le dithutapolelo tsa mabapi le batho ba go ipolaya ke tseo di bapetsago mangwalo a go ipolaya a makgonthe le a bofora go tseba ge eba mehuta ye ya mangwalo a batho ba go ipolaya a ka faralogantshwa le a mangwe. Le ge e le gore dingwalwa tsa mabapi le mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya di akaretsa dinyakisiso tse ntsi tseo di hlokometsego go fapana magareng ga mangwalo a batho ba go ipolaya a makgonthe le a bofora, ga go seo se hlokometsego ntlha ya gore go ka no se be le diphapano magareng ga mehuta ye ya mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya. Dinyakisiso tse di dirilwego mo nakong ye e fetilego le tsona di bonala di sa hlokomele ntlha ya gore go ka no se kgonagale go tseba ge eba lengwalo le tee leo le ngwadilwego ke motho wa go ipolaya ke la makgonthe goba aowa. Dinyakisiso tse di tlatsa sekgoba se ka go bona mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya a makgonthe le a bofora bjalo ka dingwalwa tseo di ka farologanywago. Ka mo dinyakisisong tse, teori ya go utolla tshekatsheko ya maikutlo e a somiswa bjalo ka teori ye kgolo ya go sekaseka polelo ka nepo ya go laetsa gore mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya a makgonthe le a bofora ga a na le dipharologantshi tse di bonagalago tse di ka somiswago go a farologanya le gore go ikemisetsa go dira gore mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya ke a makgonthe go ka ba mosomo o kotsi kudu le wo o nago le mathata. Dipoelo di laetsa gore go ya ka diteori le mekgwa ye e ahlaahlwago ka mo thesesing ye, ga go kgonagale go farologanya ka katlego phapano magareng ga mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya a makgonthe le a bofora. Go bonala gore, ka kakaretso, mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya ao a akareditswego ka mo a tla lokela kudu go tshekatsheko ye e ikemiseditsego go tseba motho yo a ngwadilego lengwalo la go ipolaya goba tiisetso go feta tshekatsheko ye e ikemiseditsego go tiisetsa gore mangwalo ao a mabapi le go ipolaya a ngwadilwe ke bomang. Ka se, dinyakisiso ga di tsenye letsogo fela go dinyakisiso tsa mabapi le tshekatsheko ya mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya, eupsa gape mabapi le dithutapolelo tsa mabapi le batho bao ba ipolailego. Godimo ga fao, dinyakisiso di akaretsa tshekatsheko ya mangwalo ao a ngwadilwego ke batho ba go ipolaya ka mo Afrika Borwa, gomme kudukudu mangwalo a go ngwalwa ka Seafrikantshe a batho bao ba ipolailego, e lego seo se sego sa dirwa ka dinyakisisong tse di fetilego. / Ukuhlaziywa kwamanothi ezehlakalo zokuzikhunga/zokuzibulala kudala kwenziwa ngokwemiqondo eyehlukahlukene ngezindlela ezimbili ngokwelingwistiki nangokwengqondo. Izifundo zocwaningo azikhulisanga kuphela ukubaluleka kocwaningo olumayelana nokuzikhunga kuphela, kodwa ziphinde zanothisa umkhakha weforensiki yelingwistiki. Ngokuhlaziya amanothi amayelana nocwaningo, abacwaningi bayakwazi ukwenza umhlahlo ngesimo somqondo womuntu ozikhungayo ngokomqondo wezengqondo, kanye nangokuzuza ulwazi olumayelana nezimpawu zalo mkhakha ngokomqondo welingwistiki. Izimfundo ezimayelana namanothi ashiywa ngabantu abazibulalayo ahlobene kakhulu neforensiki yelingwistiki yilawo aqhathanisa amanothi okuzibulala oqobo nalawo angamanothimbumbulu, ukucacisa kahle ukuthi mhlawumbe lezi zinhlobo zamanothi angahlukaniswa kwamanye. Yize umbhalo wobuciko omayelana namanothi okuzibulala axuba izimfundo zocwaningo eziningi ezigxile kwimehluko ephakathi kwamanothi okuzibulala oqobo nalawo okuzakhela/ambumbulu, akhekho obheka udaba lokuthi kungahle kungabi khona umehluko ogqamile phakathi kwalezi zinhlobo zamanothi okuzibulala. Izimfundo zocwaningo zesikhathi esedlule nazo azilubheki udaba lokuthi angekhe kwenzeka ukuthi kutholakale ukuthi mhlawumbe inothi lokuzibulala ngabe elangempela noma yinothimbumbulu. Isifundo samanje sivala lesi sikhala ngokuthatha amanothi angempela namanothimbumbulu njengemibhalo engahlukaniseki. Kulesi sifundo socwaningo, ithiyori yokuhlola isetshenziswe njengethiyori eyinsika yokuhlaziya ilingwistiki ukukhombisa ukuthi amanothi okuzibulala angempela nalawo okuzakhela akanazo izimpawu ezibaphawulekayo ezingasetshenziswa ukuwehlukanisa kanti lokho kuqonde ukuqinisekisa ukuthi amanothi okuzibulala kungenzeka abe wumsebenzi onobungozi obukhulu kanye nenkinga enkulu. Imiphumela ikhombisa ukuthi ngokwamathiyori nangezindlela ezixoxwe kule thiyori, kunzima ukuphumelela uthole umehluko phakathi mwamanothi angempela nalawo ambumbulu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuyakhombisa ukuthi, amanothi okuzibulala aqukethwe lapha azohambisana kakhulu nolwazi oluhlaziyiwe oluqonde ukuthola umnini wenothi noma ukuqinisekisa kunolwazi oluhlaziyiwe oluhlose ukuqinisekisa umbhali wamanothi okuzibulala. Ngokosiko lwakhona, isifundo asifakanga kuphela igalelo kucwaningo kuphela ngokuhlaziya amanothi okuzibulala, kanti lokho futhi kumayelana neforensiki yelingwistiki. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ucwaningo luqukethe ulwazi oluhlaziyiwe lwamanothi okuzibulala eNingizimu Afrika, ikakhulu amanothi okuzibulala abhalwe ngesiBhunu, angakazwe alokothwe kucwaningo lwesikhathi esedlule. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / Ph. D. (Forensic Linguistics)

Bibliography: pages 192-195 / The avoidability, or unavoidability of patterns in words over finite alphabets has been studied extensively. The word α over a finite set A is said to be unavoidable for an infinite set B+ of nonempty words over a finite set B if, for all but finitely many elements w of B+, there exists a semigroup morphism φ ∶ A+ → B+ such that φ(α) is a factor of w. In this treatise, we start by presenting a historical background of results that are related to unavoidability. We present and discuss the most important theorems surrounding unavoidability in detail. We present various complexity-related properties of unavoidable words. For words that are unavoidable, we provide a constructive upper bound to the lengths of words that avoid them. In particular, for a pattern α of length n over an alphabet of size r, we give a concrete function N(n, r) such that no word of length N(n, r) over the alphabet of size r avoids α. A natural subsequent question is how many unavoidable words there are. We show that the fraction of words that are unavoidable drops exponentially fast in the length of the word. This allows us to calculate an upper bound on the number of unavoidable patterns for any given finite alphabet. Subsequently, we investigate computational aspects of unavoidable words. In particular, we exhibit concrete algorithms for determining whether a word is unavoidable. We also prove results on the computational complexity of the problem of determining whether a given word is unavoidable. Specifically, the NP-completeness of the aforementioned problem is established. / Decision Sciences / D. Phil. (Operations Research)

This research study examines the forensic application of a selection of stylistic and stylometric techniques in a simulated authorship attribution case involving texts on the social networking site, Facebook. Eight participants each submitted 2,000 words of self-authored text from their personal Facebook messages, and one of them submitted an extra 2,000 words to act as the ‘disputed text’. The texts were analysed in terms of the first 1,000 words received and then at the 2,000-word level to determine what effect text length has on the effectiveness of the chosen style markers (keywords, function words, most frequently occurring words, punctuation, use of digitally mediated communication features and spelling). It was found that despite accurately identifying the author of the disputed text at the 1,000-word level, the results were not entirely conclusive but at the 2,000-word level the results were more promising, with certain style markers being particularly effective. / Linguistics / MA (Linguistics)

This diploma thesis deals with an analysis of Old Czech poem Tristram and Izalda. The source of the analysed text is the Strahov manuscript dated to 1449, in edition by Zdeňka Tichá. The thesis includes a brief description of the history and origin of the analysed piece in both European and especially Czech literary context. The main focus of this text is the linguistic analysis of selected language phenomena. That comprises of phonological and morphological evolution of most grammar categories of nouns, adjectives and verbs in Czech language. With nouns and adjectives, the thesis focuses on the declination paradigm, specifically on the system of grammatical cases and the animacy of the masculine gender. With verbs, the attention is given to the analysis of the tenses, with emphasis on the simple past tenses. First and foremost, the thesis focuses on the analysis of the aorist and imperfect tense with emphasis on verbal aspect affiliation, from which these tenses are often created. A part of the work is dedicated to the preterite, the compound past tense. Where individual verbal forms are analysed, the main focus is given to the nt- and s- participles, their suffix system and also the connection to the category of verbal aspect. Many distinct examples from the analysed text are provided throughout the thesis, as well as detailed statistic data on the occurrence frequency of selected phenomena

Employable humanists. A qualitative study on humanist students' views on employability. The crisis of the humanities is a controversial debate in the media and within academic settings. Because of lack of request for humanists in the labor market, the question of humanistic skills and employability is becoming increasingly important. The concept of employability importance not only echoes within the economic discussions, but also on everyday agenda in the academic world and takes a large part in the communication between the university and the students. It is therefore important to get answers to the question whether there is conformity in the interpretation of this concept between the university and the students. The aim of this desk study is to examine how the concept of employability has its significance in the academic communication and how the responsibility for employability is portrayed. This is done by studying how the concept of employability is formed and how the responsibilities outlined in texts from Career Center at the University of Umeå, and by comparing study results with the students' perceptions of the concept of employability and responsibility. The study has a qualitative disposition and consists of two main methods: qualitative interviews with focus groups to explore students' views, and critical linguistic analysis of texts with a focus on metaphor analysis and syntax analysis which are also supplemented by the multimodal text analysis. Results of this study indicate that the concept of employability takes a central part of the university’s communication. There are many common starting points in the interpretation of the concept and the responsibility between the university and students. Both the Career Center at Umeå University and students believe that actual knowledge, skills, experience as well as network forms the meaning of the concept of employability, and has a big importance in the student’s position on the job market. However, because the students look at the use of the concept of employability in the texts as acceptance to the social ideological perception of the individual as objects, there is some criticism of the use of the term employability in the university’s communications.

This research study examines the forensic application of a selection of stylistic and stylometric techniques in a simulated authorship attribution case involving texts on the social networking site, Facebook. Eight participants each submitted 2,000 words of self-authored text from their personal Facebook messages, and one of them submitted an extra 2,000 words to act as the ‘disputed text’. The texts were analysed in terms of the first 1,000 words received and then at the 2,000-word level to determine what effect text length has on the effectiveness of the chosen style markers (keywords, function words, most frequently occurring words, punctuation, use of digitally mediated communication features and spelling). It was found that despite accurately identifying the author of the disputed text at the 1,000-word level, the results were not entirely conclusive but at the 2,000-word level the results were more promising, with certain style markers being particularly effective. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

Summary in Tsonga and English / Ndzavisiso lowu wu xopela xiyimo xa mavumbelo, matsalelo, mahikahatelo na mathyelo ya swikomiso na mavulwankatso eka Xitsonga hi xikongomelo xo bumabumela maringaneriselo ya swona. Switiviwa swi huma eka switshuriwa swo hambanahambana swa nomu na swo tsariwa ku katsa na swa dyondzo (swa vuvulavuri, swihlayahlaya na swihlamuselamarito) swihangalasamahungunyingi na swinavetiso etilayiburari, eswikolweni, emagondzweni, eka tibilibodo na le makhumbini ya miako.Tinxaka ta mikomiso ti kumeka eka swa vanhu (mavito, swiyimo, vuxaka), matiko, tin’hweti, masiku ya vhiki, mavito ya tiholideyi, ya tihuvo, ya mihlangano, ya tiyunivhesiti, nasw. Ku na nkomisokulu (wa switshuriwa swo leha swa ndzungulo na swa nkalandzungulo, xikombiso: xihungwana, vumbiwa) na nkomisotsongo (wa switshuriwa swo koma: xivulwa, xivulwahava, rito, xiaki, peletwana). Lowu ndzavisiso wu pakanise nkomisotsongo. Nkomisotsongo wu paluxa mikhetekanyokulu ya mune ya ‘rikhwanyano’, ‘rivulwankatso’, ‘xikomiso’ na ‘rivulwampfilungano’. Swikombiso hi nandzelelano i: ‘za’ < zela); Huriri/(HRR) < ‘Huvo ya Rixaka ya Ririmi’, na (NSFAS > En-es-FAS). Xikomiso xi tihlawulekisa hi ku peleta kumbe ku komisa hi ku tsala ntsena, rito ra kona ri vuriwa hi ku hetiseka. Rikhwanyano na rivulwankatso swona swi tihlawulekisa hi ku vuleka tanihi rito rohelela. Rivulwampfilungano ri hlanganisa rivulwankatso na xikomiso. Rixaka rin’wana na rin’wana ri tlhela ri va na swivumbeko na mahikahatelo yo hambana. Matirhiselo ya swihikahato ya ya hi milawu ya ririmi ro karhi, xikombiso: nkomiso wa rivitavito wu fanele ku sungula hi letere lerikulu. Ndzavisiso wu paluxa leswaku ku tirhisiwa ka hiko (.) swi fanele ku papalatiwa eka nkomiso hikuva hiko yi teka ndhawu leyi nkomiso wu lwelaka ku hunguta yona hileswi hiko na vangwa swi hlayiwaka tanihi xitekandhawu loko ku hlayeriwa maletere. Ndzavisiso lowu wu basisile matheme lama thyiweke mikomiso eka Xitsonga, ku engetela nhlayo ya mikomiso na ku susumeta misinya yo yi ringanerisa. Ndzi bumabumerile swilaveko na swiyila ku pfuneta vahundzuluxeri na ku va seketela hi ku famba ndzi nyika maritondzingano ya Xinghezi laha swi kotekaka. Switandzhaku swi nyika vumbhoni bya leswaku nhluvuko wa mikomiso eka Xitsonga wa tshikeleriwa hi van’wana va lava nyikiweke matimba yo kondletela ntirho wa vuhundzuluxeri, leswi koxaka ku cinca ka maehleketelo. / This study analyses the state of shortenings (abbreviations and acronyms) in Xitsonga in order to determine their formation, structure, punctuation and naming patterns with the aim of recommending standardisation strategies. The data was collected from various oral and written sources. Various types of shortenings manifest in human phenomena (names, social positions and relations), names of countries, months, weekdays, holidays, boards, organisations, universities, etcetera. There are long shortened texts (e.g. abstracts, summaries) and short texts (sentence, phrase, word, morpheme, syllable). This study focusses on the short texts. Short texts fall into four major categories: ‘compression’, ‘acronym’, ‘abbreviation’ and ‘acreviation’ (combination of acronym and abbreviation). Examples of these forms are respectively ‘za’ < ‘zela’; ‘Huriri’/HRR < ‘Huvo ya Rixaka ya Ririmi’; and NSFAS > En-es- FAS. An ‘Abbreviation’ is characterised by spelling the word letter-by-letter or using it only in writing but uttering its full form when reading, while compression and acronym are characterised by the word’s ‘pronounceability’ in normal syllables. ‘Acreviation’ describes a combination of ‘acronym’ and ‘abbreviation’. Each of these forms further reveals different structural and punctuation patterns. The use of punctuation marks depends on the rules of a specific language, for example, the shortening of a proper name has to begin with a capital letter. The study also reveals that as much as possible, the use of a period should be avoided in the abbreviation as it occupies the space which the abbreviation intends to save because a full stop and space are counted as a character when a word count is done. This study has successfully clarifies the terminology used in the naming of shortenings in Xitsonga, increases the number of shortenings and proposes standardisation guidelines. The researcher recommends do’s and don’t’s for translators and provides English equivalents where applicable. The addenda provide evidence in support of the fact that the development of abbreviations and acronyms in Xitsonga is still thwarted by some individuals who are given coordination roles in translation projects and that a change of mindset is necessary. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

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Reading comprehension as a prerequisite for successful strategy of word problems solving in mathematics DISSERTATION Mgr. Alena Sigmundová ABSTRACT The dissertation describes the results of an interdisciplinary research study examining the linguistic aspects of word problems in mathematics and the connection between comprehension of the text of word problems and the success of their solution. In the introduction the research is set into the framework of theoretical bases: the term word problem in mathematics and the concept of reading comprehension, including factors influencing the understanding of the text are characterized and the results of previous research studies are described. Subsequently the work presents a methodology, course and results of testing of pupils in three pilot studies and in the main survey and the conclusions from the semi-structured interviews. The research is based on the linguistic analysis of 18 word problems with low solution success, taken from international research surveys PISA 2012 and TIMSS 2007, as well as on the level of comprehension of the text of these tasks in the 8th and 9th grade primary schools, modifying selected language phenomena and detecting the effect of these reformulations. 773 pupils from 13 elementary schools participated in the research. The study...

This study investigates how the book of Acts addresses certain local problems in Luke's community through a linguistic stylistic analysis that utilizes models of verbal art and intertextuality within a systemic-functional linguistic framework. This methodology is suited to demonstrate how Luke symbolically articulates a message to his audience through his stylistic patternings of language of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 and the texts with which it shares thematic content. The scheme of the study begins with the analysis of the Cornelius episode in Acts 10:1-11:18, continues with the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:1- 29, and concludes with Paul's return to Jerusalem where he stands accused of forsaking the Law of Moses in Acts 21:17-26. Each of these episodes, sharing patterns of repetition, plays a role in the symbolic articulation of a message in the book of Acts. First, the Cornelius story establishes the legitimacy of table fellowship among Jewish and Gentile believers against opposing Jewish value positions regarding moral purity. Next, the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 recapitulates the Cornelius episode but then further develops value orientations concerning social relations among Jewish and Gentile believers in the church, principally by means of the Apostolic Decree. Then, the repetition of the Apostolic Decree in Acts 21 clarifies its meaning according to different situational variables. The thesis of this study is that these patterns reveal contextual elements of a particular conflict the early church faced over the communal integration of Jewish and Gentile believers - namely, that Jews were susceptible to splitting off from multi-ethnic churches due to the pressures of a Jewish separationist ideology. The book of Acts subverts this ideology by means of the foregrounded patternings identified in this study. These patternings, which serve to identify foregrounded thematic formations, orient the reader to the proper heterglossic backdrop and reveal that Luke engages a particular Noahic tradition associated with the discursive practice of rewriting sacred scripture in Second Temple Jewish literature, not to align with its value orientations but to subvert it and thereby convince Jewish believers not to withdraw from the community of God.