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.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background Information
1.2. Statement of the Problem
1.3. Research Hypothesis
1.4. Aim of the Study
1.5. Motivation and Justification
1.6. Importance of the Study
1.7. Scope and Delimitation of the Study
1.8. Definition of Key Terms
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Kirundi Kinship Terminology
2.1.1. Definition
2.1.2. Criticism on the Existing Related Literature
2.1.3 Description of Kirundi Kinship Terminology
2.1.3.1. Mode of Use of Kirundi Kinship Terminology
2.1.3.2. Linguistic Structure of Kirundi Kinship Terminology
2.1.3.3. Mode of Application of Kirundi Kinship Terminology
2.1.4. Significance of Kirundi Kinship Terminology
2.1.5 Nomenclature of Kirundi Kinship Terminology
2.1.5.1 Consanguineal Kinship Terms
2.1.5.2 Affinal Kinship Terms
2.2. Pragmatics
2.2.1. Definition of Pragmatics
2.2.2. Pragmatic Meaning
2.2.3. Major Issues in Pragmatics
2.2.4. Levels of Pragmatics
2.3. Notion of Entreaty
2.3.1. Speech Behaviour
2.3.2. Request
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1. Research area
3.2. Description of the Subjects
3.3. Sampling Techniques
3.4. Research Instruments
3.5. Research Procedures
CHAPTER 4: DATA INTERPRETATION, ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
4.1. Data Interpretation
4.1.1. Classification of Collected Kinship Terms
4.1.2. Contextualization
4.1.3. Perfomative Power of the Tokens
4.2. Data Analysis
4.2.1. Muvyêyi (Parent)
4.2.2. Dāwé (daddy, dad)
4.2.3. Māwé (mummy, mum)
4.2.4. Sogóku (Grandpa)
4.2.5. Nyogóku (grandma)
4.2.5. Muvûkanyi (Sibling)
4.2.7. Mwěnewâcu (my brother, sister)
4.2.8. Mushíkānje (my sister= man speaking)
4.2.9. Musâzānje (My brother= woman speaking)
4.2.10. Mwǎna (Child)
4.3. Findings
4.3.1. Power of Kinship Terms in Entreaty Act
4.3.2. Social Parameters of Entreaty
4.3.3 Anthropological Parameters of Entreaty
CHAPTER 5: GENERAL CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 General Conclusion
5.2. Recommendations
Research Objectives and Focus
This study aims to perform a pragmatic analysis of Kirundi kinship terminology to explore how native speakers utilize these terms to express entreaty in daily social interactions. The research seeks to understand the performative function of kinship terms beyond their basic genealogical meaning, specifically examining how they serve as politeness strategies to secure requests in various social contexts.
- Functional pragmatic analysis of Kirundi kinship terms.
- Application of speech act theory to identify locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary forces.
- Investigation of social and anthropological parameters influencing linguistic entreaty.
- Exploration of kinship terms as politeness strategies in interpersonal communication.
- Comparative analysis of term usage across different hierarchical generations and social categories.
Book Excerpt
4.2.1. Muvyêyi (Parent)
U= Muvyêyi, ndabasavye mūndeké nsubíre mw’īshǔre
T= LT= Parent I plead you me let I go back in class
IT= Father, I plead with you, could you allow me to go back to class?
Locutionary Act
S encodes and utters the declarative sentence: “Muvyêyi, ndabasavye mūndeké nsubíre mw’īshǔre”. The sentence has a binary structure, that is, it consists of a kinship term “Muvyêyi” and a begging statement: “ndabasavye mūndeké nsubíre mw’īshǔre”.
Illocutionary Act
The begging statement is a direct request. On the other hand the kinship term is an address consisting in an indirect speech act, because S goes beyond what is literally said to imply: “I am your child, do as you would do for your son.” By the whole utterance S wants to perform a function that is, entreating H. S intends to entreat H. S intends that the utterance of U, will place H under the moral pressure to grant S’s want: “going back to class”.
The utterance of the begging statement alone is a real threat to the addressee’s negative face because it is bald on-record, that is, completely direct without any attempt to preserve H’s freedom of action or freedom from imposition. S then resorts to a kinship term “muvyêyi” in order to save H’s negative face. He does hedges on the illocutionary force by giving H deference. “Muvyêyi” is a conversational implicature. What is meant by the address form is different from what is explicitly said.
Perlocutionary Act
The change on the part of H as S utters U is the perlocutionary act. The perlocution is a result of social connotations around the kinship term “Muvyêyi”: kind, provider, caregiver and nurturer. The speaker who uses this entreaty term brings the hearer to have pity for him or will fill embarrassed if the latter does not grant his wish.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the geographical and linguistic landscape of Burundi and outlines the research objective regarding the pragmatic use of kinship terms.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW: This chapter reviews academic works on kinship terminology, pragmatics, and speech act theory, establishing the theoretical framework for the study.
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY: This chapter describes the research area, subjects, and data collection instruments, including the usage of interviews and questionnaires.
CHAPTER 4: DATA INTERPRETATION, ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS: This chapter presents the analysis of collected kinship terms, their usage in entreaty, and their performance through speech act dimensions.
CHAPTER 5: GENERAL CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: This chapter provides a final overview of the research findings and offers recommendations for future linguistic and educational applications.
Keywords
Kirundi, Kinship Terms, Pragmatics, Entreaty, Speech Act Theory, Politeness Strategies, Sociolinguistics, Burundi, Interpersonal Communication, Face-Enhancement, Illocutionary Force, Perlocutionary Effect, Social Hierarchy, Cultural Anthropology, Kinship System
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The study focuses on the pragmatic application of Kirundi kinship terms, specifically how they are utilized as polite and effective tools for making requests or expressing entreaty in daily conversation.
What are the central themes explored in the work?
The central themes include the performative power of language, the intersection of kinship and social hierarchy, and the use of linguistic etiquette to navigate interpersonal relationships in Burundian culture.
What is the core research question being investigated?
The research investigates whether Kirundi speakers actively use kinship terms as a strategic linguistic mechanism to enhance the likelihood of having their requests granted by addressees.
Which scientific methods were employed to gather data?
The author utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining structured questionnaires and personal interviews with 100 native speakers from four specific provinces to gather qualitative and quantitative data.
How is the kinship system structured in the book?
The book classifies Kirundi kinship into three primary groups: parents (ascending generation), fraternals (ego generation), and children (descending generation), while also distinguishing between consanguineal and affinal relationships.
What key terms define the scope of the study?
Key terms include "kinship terms," which refer to verbal elements expressing genealogical relationships, and "entreaty," defined as a serious and emotional request used to invoke empathy or generosity.
How do kinship terms function as politeness strategies?
Kinship terms act as redressive mechanisms that mitigate the potential face-threatening nature of a request, helping the speaker maintain social harmony and establish a common ground of familiarity.
How does age and sex influence the usage of these terms?
The findings indicate that these variables significantly affect term selection, with younger generations showing a higher tendency to integrate loanwords, while older speakers maintain traditional terminology based on status and gender.
- Citation du texte
- Simon Ntamwana (Auteur), 2012, Expressing Entreaty. The Use of Kirundi Kinship Terms, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/429969
