Expressing Entreaty. The Use of Kirundi Kinship Terms

Bachelor Thesis , 2012 , 103 Pages , Grade: Bachelor of Arts

Literature - Africa

This is a pragmatic analysis of the Kirundi kinship terminology with the aim of using a linguistic approach to study how Burundians use kinship terms to express entreaty. It has been noted that Kirundi speakers use kinship terms to address their hearers in order to achieve some targets. Thus, kinship terms embody the power of action that is exploited in interpersonal conversation to express entreaty. The study was based on the assumption that Kirundi kinship terms do things in actual communication. Kirundi kinship terms used for entreaty purpose were collected from members of the Kirundi speech community and from available related literature.

They were translated into English and classified according to how they are used with regards to the conveyance entreaty. The speech act theory was used to identify the locutionary force (semantics), the illocutionary force (intention) and the perlocutionary force (possible effects) of each contextualized kinship term. The people’s reactions in relation to deeper implications and possible effects of the kinship terms were obtained through a questionnaire and an interview schedule. The findings of the study showed that the respondents (100%) are aware of the pragmatic use of kinship terms and use kinship terms to convey entreaty in their everyday life. When they were asked whether they use kinship terms for entreaty purpose, they all agreed (100%) regardless of their age and sex.

It was proved, however, that there is a tendency to replace some terms by foreign language equivalents or religious brotherhood terms. Respondents also expressed their views that kinship terms are honorific words and politeness forms which have the power to arouse one’s addressee grant one’s request. Kirundi kinship terms may, therefore, be taken as one major source of reference to study the ethnopragmatics of Burundians. Kirundi kinship terminology should, thus, be subjected to well balanced analysis and interpretation to avoid unnecessary influences. The analysis of Kinship terms is recommended as a powerful tool for people concerned with sociopragmatics. Moreover, Kirundi Kinship terminology constitutes a wide field for linguists interested in studying the power and effects of language in society.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• DEDICATION
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
• CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
• 1.1 Background to the Study
• 1.2 Statement of the Problem
• 1.3 Objectives of the Study
• 1.4 Research Questions
• 1.5 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
• 1.6 Significance of the Study
• 1.7 Methodology
• 1.8 Organization of the Study
• CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
• 2.1 Entreaty and its Linguistic Realization
• 2.2 The Concept of Kinship Terms
• 2.3 The Use of Kinship Terms for Non-Kinship Purposes
• 2.4 The Use of Kinship Terms in Other Languages
• CHAPTER THREE: DATA ANALYSIS
• 3.1 The Use of Kinship Terms in Entreaty
• 3.2 Interpretation of the Data
• 3.3 Pragmatic Implications of Using Kinship Terms in Entreaty
• CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• 4.1 Conclusion
• 4.2 Recommendations
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• APPENDIX

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation explores the use of Kirundi kinship terms in expressing entreaty. The study aims to analyze how these terms function pragmatically and how they contribute to the realization of entreaty in Kirundi. It investigates the linguistic and cultural factors that influence the use of kinship terms in this context, examining their role in shaping social interactions and conveying meaning.

• The use of kinship terms in Kirundi beyond their biological meaning.
• The pragmatic functions of kinship terms in expressing entreaty.
• The sociocultural context that influences the use of kinship terms in entreaty.
• The linguistic features of Kirundi that contribute to the realization of entreaty through kinship terms.
• The potential implications of this linguistic phenomenon for understanding Kirundi language and culture.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Chapter One provides an introduction to the study, outlining the research problem, objectives, scope, methodology, and organization. It establishes the context for the investigation by examining the background of the study and its significance.
• Chapter Two presents a comprehensive review of relevant literature, exploring the concept of entreaty and its linguistic realization, the nature of kinship terms, their use for non-kinship purposes, and examples from other languages. This chapter lays the theoretical foundation for the study and identifies relevant research findings.
• Chapter Three delves into the analysis of data collected for the study. It focuses on examining how kinship terms are used in expressing entreaty in Kirundi, interpreting the data in light of pragmatic principles, and exploring the implications of these linguistic features for social interaction and meaning-making.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords for this dissertation include: Kirundi, kinship terms, entreaty, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, language and culture, linguistic analysis, cultural context, politeness, social interaction, and communicative strategies.

• College: University of Burundi (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences University of Burundi)
• Course: English Language and Literature
• Grade: Bachelor of Arts
• Author: Simon Ntamwana (Author)
• Publication Year: 2012
• Pages: 103
• Catalog Number: V429969
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668749931
• ISBN (Book): 9783668749948
• Language: English
• Tags: expressing, entreaty, kirundi, kinship, terms