La doctrine pythagoricienne de la Tétractys est sans doute une des questions les plus délicates de l’histoire de la philosophie. Elle représente non seulement une des théories essentielles de l’arithmologie, mais aussi, ainsi que la doxographie ancienne en témoigne, « le plus grand secret et le fondement de la philosophie pythagoricienne ». Armand Delatte, dans ses classiques Etudes sur la littérature pythagoricienne, a souligné l’importance véhiculée par ce philosophème. Dans la première partie, « méthodologique », de notre étude, nous traitons du lien entre Platon et la pensée pythagoricienne, en prenant comme fil conducteur trois notions essentielles: le silence voué des initiés de l’ordre et la pratique du secret ;l’expression énigmatique et « symbolique » ;la pratique de l’allégorie (hyponoia), indissolublement associée, elle, à celle du mythe. La deuxième partie de notre travail est centrée sur le témoignage le plus ancien au sujet de la Tétractys, à savoir sur la fameuse maxime des Acousmatiques :« Qu’est-ce que l’oracle des Delphes ?La Tétractys, c'est-à-dire l’harmonie où se trouvent les Sirènes ». En outre, en modérant, d’une certaine manière, l’ « ésotérisme historique » de l’Ecole de Tübingen, dont nous nous prenons des distances quant à certains points (comme, par exemple, l’importance de la méthode allégorique), nous tentons, dans la troisième et dernière partie de notre étude, de lire certains passages mythiques de Platon comme des allégories susceptibles d’être comprises et de trouver leur cohérence à la lumière de la tradition indirecte, voire de la théorie platonicienne sur les nombres, théorie intimement liée à la doctrine pythagoricienne de la Tétractys. Dans cet ordre d’idées, à partir de la République et du Timée jusqu’au Phèdre et au Gorgias, la mathématisation platonicienne de la réalité se verrait intégrée aux mythes, dont la somptuosité poétique ne serait qu’une image de l’enchantement philosophique entraînant l’élévation de l’âme vers l’Un – Bien. Bien qu’ayant toujours présents à l’esprit les dangers auxquels notre étude s’expose, nous n’avons pas toujours su les éliminer. Nous ne méconnaissons aucunement ses lacunes et ses faiblesses. Nous considérons en revanche que son avantage réside en ce qu’elle tente de contribuer à éclairer d’une lumière nouvelle certains aspects méconnus. C’est sans doute là que se situe le danger, mais aussi son intérêt. <p> <p> / Doctorat en Philosophie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Black choral music composers in South Africa, inspired by the few opportunities available to them until recent times, have nonetheless attempted to establish, perhaps subconsciously, some choral tradition and, in doing so, incorporate African musical elements in their works. My research traces the foundations and historical development of choral music as an art amongst Vhavenda, and the contributions made thereto by a number of past and present Venda composers that this researcher could manage to identify and trace, to the music of the people. The selected composers are Stephen Maimela Dzivhani, Matthew Ramboho Nemakhavhani, Derrick Victor Nephawe, Joseph Khorommbi Nonge, Israel Thinawanga Ramabannda and Fhatuwani Hamilton Sumbana. Through the application of multiple methodological lenses, the study sets out to analyse, describe, and interpret Venda choral music. Of particular interest is the exploration of the extent to which the ”formal” education that was brought by the Berlin Missionaries influenced Venda choral musicians, particularly the selected Venda choral music composers. Also crucial to this research is the exploration and identification of elements peculiar to indigenous Venda traditional music in the works of these composers. The question is whether it was possible for these composers to realize and utilize their potentials fully in their attempt to evoke traditional Venda music with their works, given the very limiting Western tonic sol-fa notational system they were solely working with. The project also briefly traces the place of Venda choral music within the South African music context and its role within the search for cultural identity. The research has found that the majority of Venda choral music written so far has generally not been capable of evoking indigenous Venda traditional music. Whilst these composers choose themes that are akin to their culture, social settings, legend and general communal life, the majority of the music they set to these themes does not sound African (Venda in particular) in terms of the rhythms and melodies. The majority of the compositions under scrutiny have inappropriate settings of Venda words into the melodies employed. This can be attributed to the limitations imposed by the tonic sol-fa notational system, which was the only system they were taught in the missionary schools established around Venda and which, itself, was flawed as well as the general lack of adequate music education on the part of the composers themselves. Despite these limitations and the very few opportunities available to them, Venda choral music composers nonetheless managed to lay a foundation for choral music as an art amongst their people (Vhavenda). / Art history, Visual Ars and Musicology / D. Mus

This thesis analyzes the phonological and morphological nativisation of English loans in the Tonga language. The contact situation between English and Tonga, in Zimbabwe, facilitates transference of lexical items between the two languages. From having been one of the most widely used languages of the world, English has developed into the most influential donor of words to other languages such as Tonga. The infiltration of English words into the Tonga lexical inventory led to the adoption and subsequent nativisation of English words by the native Tonga speakers. The main deposit of English words into Tonga is the direct interaction between English and Tonga speakers. However, it is sometimes via other languages like Shona, Ndebele, Venda and Shangani. In the 21st century, English’s contribution to the vocabulary of Tonga became more widely spread, now covering a large proportion of the Tonga language’s lexical inventory. The fact that English is the medium of instruction, in Zimbabwe, language of technology, education, media, new administration, health, music, new religion and economic transactions means that it is regarded as the high variety language with coercive loaning powers. Words from English are then adopted and nativised in the Tonga language, since Tonga asserts itself an independent language that can handle loans on its own. The main focus of this study therefore, is to try and account for the phonological and morphological behavior and changes that take place in English words that enter into Tonga. Analyzing phonological processes that are employed during nativisation of loan words entails analyzing how Tonga speakers handle aspects of English language such as diphthongs, triphthongs, cluster consonants, CVC syllable structure and sounds in repairing unacceptable sequences in Tonga. The research also accounts for the handling of morphological differences between the two languages. This entails looking at how competence and ordered-rule framework are harmonized by Tonga speakers in repairing conflicting features at morphological level. Since the two languages have different morphological patterns, the research analyzes the repairing strategies to handle singular and plural noun prefixes, tenses and particles, which are morphological components of words. The researcher appreciates that the native Tonga speakers have robust intuitions on the proper way to nativise words. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

This dissertation is an analysis of the segmental phonology of the Shangani language as spoken in the South Eastern parts of Zimbabwe. It starts by presenting the language situation in Zimbabwe and comparing the language’s status in Zimbabwe with that of its sister varieties in South Africa where it is referred to as Tsonga and in Mozambique where it is referred to as XiChangana or Changana. The dissertation is based on data collected from the speakers of Shangani using a variety of research techniques. The dissertation identifies and characterizes the language’s distinctive phonemes using the minimal pair and set tests. It presents the language’s consonants, which include aspirated, breathy-voiced, pre-nasalized, labialized and palatalized consonants. It shows that in Shangani, voiceless consonants cannot be pre-nasalized and that there is an incompatibility between that labio-velar glide /w/ and most labial consonants excpt /m/. The phonemes are analysed using Chomsky and Halle’s (1968) distinctive feature theory. The study uses Clements and Keyser’s (1983) CV phonology of the syllable structure to analyse the language’s syllable structure. The language’s canonical syllable structure is CV. It is also shown that consonant clusters are gaining their way into the language through borrowing from English, Afrikaans and other languages that have consonant clusters in their inventories. Onsetless Vs are marginally attested word-initially. In agent nouns, VV sequences are in most cases retained. These sequences are not analysed as diphthongs since they occupy different V slots on the syllable tier. The second vowel in the sequence is the onsetless syllable. Affricates, NCs, Cws and Cjs are presented as unitary segments that occupy a single C slot of the CV tier. Phonological processes that are attested in the language are also presented. Secondary articulation, vowel deletion, feature spreading, vowel coalescence and nasalization are shown to be the most common phonological process in the language. Since Shangani has the CV syllable typology, most of the phonological processes are there to resolve hiatus that would have been induced by suffixation of vowel commencing stems or suffixes to vowel final prefixes or stems. The notion of domains is shown to be a diagnostic tool for identifying a process in a hiatus situation. The study shows that vowel deletion is the least preferred strategy when secondary articulation, feature spreading, vowel coalescence have been blocked by some constraints like syllable structure processes or the language’s phonotactics / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

Text in Afrikaans / Art History, Visual Arts & Musicology / D.Mus. (Musiekwetenskap)

人生在世，無不期望幸福，而目標的達成是一個人幸福的來源。從文化與自我相互建構的觀點，不同文化下的人擁有不同自我建構（獨立自我vs.相依自我），而追求不同的目標，因此其幸福感的來源基礎應當有所不同。過去的文獻都指出，華人社會是一個集體主義的社會（相對於北美的個人主義），華人的自我是一種相依式的自我；與他人的相融和諧應當是華人重要的幸福感來源。然而，筆者假設：在文化交流頻繁的情況下，當代華人應當同時具有兩種自我建構的特色，一方面，獨立自我可能透過整體自尊而獲得其幸福感，相依自我則以與他人的相融和諧為其幸福感來源。筆者也對自尊的概念作一初步的釐清，認為相融和諧也可以成為個人整體自尊來源，進而影響個人主觀幸福。筆者讓425位參與者接受自我建構（包括獨立自我與相依自我）、整體自尊、相融和諧、以及主觀幸福感（包括生活滿意、正向情緒、負向情緒）等量表的施測，結果發現：當代以台灣為代表的華人，確實兼有相依自我與獨立自我建構的特色，而徑路分析的結果也支持了前述的假設。本研究也發現：自我建構量表的因素分析結果，獨立自我的部分可以抽成兩個因素，一為自我表達，一為追求獨立；進行階層迴歸分析後，發現除了相依自我外，善於自我表達也是有助於與人相融和諧的因素。最後，筆者除了對本研究的反省與限制作一討論外，也提出一些未來可能的研究方向。 / Subjective well-being (SWB) or happiness, which is acquired from achieving one’s goals, is the ultimate motivator for all humans. The theory of self-construals states that people from different cultures have different self-construls (independent vs. interdependent), and pursue different cultural imperatives or everyday life tasks (goals). It has been pointed out that Chinese people have interdependent self-construl, which emphasizes fitting in and maintaining harmonious relationships with important others. However, the author hypothesized that the two views of the self might coexist in Chinese people in Taiwan in the face of the vast-scale cultural invasion from the West. The independent self was proposed to be the predictor of SWB, acting through the mediating variable of global self-esteem, whereas the interdependent self to be predictor of SWB, acting through the mediating variable of fitting-harmony (which means fitting in and maintaining harmonious relationships with important others). It was also hypothesized that fitting-harmony might be an important domain on which self-esteem is contingent; therefore, self-esteem is expected to mediate the effect on SWB for those higher in fitting-harmony. 425 participants completed the self-construl scale, self-esteem scale, fitting-harmony scale, and SWB scale. It was found that the two self-views coexist in Chinese people in Taiwan and the results of path analyses supported the hypotheses described above. Moreover, the result of exploratory factor analysis of self-construal scale showed that the items for independent self could be divided into two factors: self-expression and independence-pursuit. In addition to interdependent self, self-expression was also a significant predictor of fitting-harmony. The results, limitations, and future directions were discussed.

Cette recherche constitue une incursion dans la bioéthique de l’Asie. Elle vise à vérifier s’il existe une approche de la bioéthique spécifique pour l’Asie et, s’il s’avère que tel est le cas, d’identifier les particularités les plus apparentes de la nature de cette ‘bioéthique asiatique’. La recherche a été réalisée à même des sources documentaires constituées d’un corpus d’articles publiés entre 2001 et 2005, dans les versions électroniques de revues scientifiques reconnues. La recherche conclut à l’existence d’une ‘bioéthique asiatique’ qui accorde à certaines valeurs humaines une prédominance spécifique, de même qu’un sens différent qui lui est propre. Le lien, entre la culture et les traditions morales locales d’une part, et l’ordre de prédominance et l’interprétation des valeurs éthiques d’autre part, doit être reconnu et pris en compte pour que la bioéthique soit pertinente et applicable aux personnes touchées par les enjeux évalués en Asie. La recherche identifie également quatre particularités de la ‘bioéthique asiatique’ qui constitue le début d’une tentative pour en cerner la nature : le rapport entre ‘soi’ et les autres, la compassion, l’harmonie, de même qu’une conception spirituelle du monde dont la base est l’interdépendance et l’interconnexion d’un ordre universel entrelacé et participatif. / This research study represents an incursion into Asian bioethics. The goal is to verify whether a specific bioethics approach is attributed to Asia and, if so, to identify its most obvious distinctiveness. This research was based on a corpus of articles published between 2001 and 2005 in electronic versions from acknowledged scientific magazines. This research infers the existence of an Asian bioethics which allows for a specific predominance to certain human values as well as unique and distinct meaning. On one hand, the cultural and local moral traditions relationship and, on the other hand, the predominance and interpretation of ethical values, must be recognized and considered so bioethics become relevant and applicable to those affected by the assessed issues in Asia. This study also identifies four distinctiveness in ‘Asian bioethics’ which represent the beginning of an endeavor to define their nature: The correlation between ‘the self’ and the others, compassion, harmony and a spiritual idea of the world based upon interdependence and networking in an intertwined and participative universal order.

La version intégrale de cette thèse est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de musique de l’Université de Montréal (http://www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU). / Le compositeur de musique instrumentale se retrouve inévitablement, dans l’acte d’écriture, confronté au problème de l’organisation des hauteurs, paramètre fondamental de la structure musicale dans la pratique occidentale. Poursuivant dans la voie tracée par de nombreux compositeurs et théoriciens du XXe siècle, les recherches exposées ici tentent de constituer un système harmonique pouvant être doté d’une structure syntaxique dans un cadre non tonal, en se fondant sur l’importance que possèdent les groupements (patterns) pour la perception musicale et pour l’établissement de relations hiérarchiques essentielles à l’organisation musicale. Le développement de ce système – basé sur la mise en relation de groupes d’accords visant à constituer des unités structurelles significatives – a été effectué dans le cadre d’une démarche de recherche-création via la composition de deux œuvres principales. La première, Tableaux d’une révolution, est une pièce en cinq mouvements pour grand orchestre symphonique, témoignage en musique d'événements historiques ayant marqué les pays d'Europe de l'est derrière le rideau de fer: Varsovie 1944, Budapest 1956, Prague 1968, Gdansk 1980 et Berlin 1989; la seconde, 24 Préludes d’après Chopin, est un exercice de réappropriation d'une œuvre phare de l'héritage pianistique. La description détaillée du système de relations d’accords et l’analyse approfondie des œuvres jointes en annexe sont précédées d’une discussion sur la relation entre le compositeur et son système de composition, relation abordée du point de vue sémiologique par l’emploi de la notion de tripartition avancée par Nattiez et Molino. / The composer of instrumental music inevitably finds himself, in the act of writing, faced with the problem of pitch organization, a key element of musical structure in the Western practice. Following in the footsteps of many composers and theorists of the twentieth century, the research presented here tries to elaborate a harmonic system which possesses a syntactic structure in a non tonal environment, based on the importance of patterns for music perception and for establishment of hierarchical relationships essential to musical organization. The development of this system - based on the linking of groups of chords in an attempt to constitute significant structural units - was carried out as part of a research-creation approach via the composition of two major works. The first, Pictures of a Revolution, is a work in five movements for symphonic orchestra, a musical testimony of historical events that marked the countries of Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain : Warsaw 1944, Budapest 1956, Prague 1968, Gdansk 1980 and Berlin 1989; and the second, 24 Preludes after Chopin, is an exercise in appropriation of a landmark work of the piano classical heritage. The detailed description of the chord relationship system and the in-depth analysis of annexed works are preceded by a discussion of the relationship between the composer and his composition system, relationship approached from the point of view of semiology through the concept of tripartition proposed by Nattiez and Molino.

La version intégrale de ce mémoire est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de musique de l’Université de Montréal (www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU). / Ce mémoire atteste du résultat de mes deux années d’étude en composition à l’Université de Montréal. J’ai cherché à développé un langage musical personnel, bien qu’ancré dans la tradition et plus particulièrement dans l’héritable harmonique tonal, basé sur une utilisation plus ou moins libre d’accords par tierces superposées –bien que j’emprunte parfois d’autres langages harmoniques. De plus, j’ai voulu concilier la pratique de la composition dans les domaines de la musique de concert et de la musique de film, en démontrant comment ma démarche de créateur présente de nombreuses constantes indépendamment du champ dans lequel j’évolue. Celles-ci sont principalement de l’ordre de l’organisation musicale et de la structure formelle ainsi que, dans une moindre mesure, de détails harmoniques et contrapuntiques. Par exemple, j’aborde et je traite le leitmotiv (élément musical caractérisant un personnage, un lieu ou un sentiment en musique de film) de la même façon que j’ai recours extensivement aux motifs (unité minimale de signification musicale) dans ma musique de concert. La démonstration se fait à travers l’analyse et la critique d’extraits puisés à travers neuf œuvres de mon répertoire de concert et de musique à l’image. / This master’s thesis is the result of two years of studies in composition at the University of Montreal. Through my work, I have sought to develop a musical language of my own that is rooted in tradition and inspired by our vast tonal heritage. I use a mostly triad-based harmonic language while also borrowing from other techniques from time to time. Moreover, I have attempted to bring together my work as a concert composer and as a film music composer by showing how my compositional approach shares many common characteristics no matter the genre of music. These common features range from the way a piece is organized to how the form is underlined by musical means. To a lesser extent, harmonic and contrapuntal techniques might also be common elements. For instance, I have often been using the leitmotiv (a musical item that is associated with an on-screen element in film music) in the same way I use motives (the smallest elements of musical meaning one can perceive) as a mean of structuring my concert compositions. To make my point, I have analyzed and discussed many examples of nine of my works from both the concert or film music genres.

La version intégrale de cette thèse est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de l'Université de Montréal (www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU). / Cette thèse portant sur le potentiel musical des analyses sonores consiste en une recherche créative et artistique portant sur des propriétés caractéristiques du comportement sonore mis en lumière via divers types d'analyses et susceptibles d'assister la composition musicale. Ce travail présente l'élaboration des outils d'analyses programmés et utilisés à cette fin, en plus d'un corpus de 6 oeuvres dont l'ordre de présentation correspond à leur chronologie d'écriture, et dont la conception et l'analyse musicales sont inégalement exposées (du bref aperçu au survol exhaustif). Au fur et à mesure de la recherche, le répertoire ci-développé intègre, par élargissement conceptuel, des considérations analytiques pour d'autres phénomènes vibratoires (comme la lumière ou l'harmonie des sphères) et, esthétiquement, toute cette démarche est fondée sur le concept aristotélicien de la mimesis, où l'idéal artistique consiste en la sublimation de la nature. / This thesis about the musical potential of sound analysis consists in an artistic and creative research on characteristic properties of sound behavior revealed by various types of analysis and likely to assist musical composing. This work presents the elaboration of analysis tools programmed and used on purpose, in addition of a corpus of six works which the order of presentation corresponds to their chronology of writing, and which both conception and musical analysis are unevenly exposed (from brief to exhaustive overviews). As the research occurs, the featured repertory integrates, by a conceptual enlargement, some analytic considerations for other vibratory phenomena (as light or the harmony of the spheres) and, aesthetically, all that approach is founded on the aristotelician concept of mimesis, in which the artistic ideal consists in the sublimation of nature.