Nnamdi Azikiwe University Journals
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THE ROLE OF CONTEXT IN SENTENCE CLASSIFICATION
No full textAn aspect of performative grammer is advanced and justified in these pages. Performative grammer is a context –sensitive performance approach to the scientific characterisation of language structure, first elaborated in UWAJEH (1979) at the universe de Montreal, that takes into account the specific (kinds of) communication contexts in which particular language textures are bonafide communicative constructs of language users. Specifically, this paper argues that communication context, not language structure as generally believed since antiquity, is the crucial factor for basic classifications of sentences in particular and for sentence description in general. The implications for Grammar of such a conclusion are then discussed with special reference to AUSTIN’s (1962) doctrine of illuculionary force in speech acts Theory and the performative preface of the so-called performative hypothesis outlined by BERCKMANS (1988)
THE INFLUENCE OF CHANCE AND TIME IN THE SHAPING OF MAN’S DESTINY
No full textIn Thomas Herdy’s fourth novel: Far from the Madding crowd,the citizen’s “Then” is the rustic’s “now”’. Thus a changeless rigid and uncompromising village is set against human beings who can never remain immobile!. it is this scene that shapes the action in the novel. Time and chance are the cords that binds all the episodes concerning each character irrevocably to them. Bathsheba Everdeen , the heroine , and all the major characters are thoroughly ‘beaten “by time and chance. The author successfully uses time and chance to subdue Everdeen to a mature, disillusioned and knowledgeable adult. One can see that time and chance indeed happen to all. At work is an impilicit moral judgement which appears to work against the society, or the inscrutable nature of the universe with its chance of destruction or reform. And man often finds it difficult which is preferable!. The lesson here is man, like Gabriel Oak, through sheer initiatives, endurance and ability to adapt in spite of time and chance, should reach out through to a successful and happy position/ending in life
IGBO FEMALE IN IGBO LITERARY TEXTS AND IGBO FEMALE LITERARY WRITERS: THE ISSUE OF MARGINALIZATION
No full textWhile the presence of men made itself concretely felt in Igbo language as far back as 1933. Igbo women would not publish a literary work until after four decades. This paper will trace the history of Igbo female writers and throw light on the sources of hindrances that Igbo female literary writers encounter. It will also examine the focus of Igbo female literary artists and determine whether they have used their works to project the interest of the Igbo female or not. The problems that the Igbo female writers encounter will also be considered. Finally, suggestions on how they can improve their lot towards a better achievement for the Igbo female image and interest, and for a better democratic experience and greater developmental achievement in Igbo society and Nigeria, as a whole will be discussed
SPINSTERS IN A WHIRLWIND: GENDER POLITICS IN ADEGBITE’S ECHOES OF YESTERYEARS
No full textCoping with a rapidly changing increasing complex society is a difficult and perplexing task. An increasing number of lifestyles have thus come about and have in turn created new conflicts. It appears that spinsters are generally moving away from the rigid attitudes and behaviour of the past and moving toward greater openness to personal expression in behaviour, thought and living styles. This article examines Oyindamola obsession with becoming Kolawole’s wife at whatever cost and Omaladun’s cold calculating schemes in the battle line drawn between herself and Kolawole, after her friend’s death on being jilted by Kolawole. It berates spinsterhood at its negative extreme, subtly hinting that situations need not break spinsters or make them desperate to the point of being branded insane. Even if they have lost grounds on the love arena, they should not resort to vengeance but should realize that troubles refine us; when we came out of troubles, we are better in our knowledge and understanding of creation. The main objective and purpose of this work is to illuminate the element of reality found in fiction and fictional writing
A MYTHICAL ARCHETYPAL FORM
No full textMyths and Archetypes, among others, are two major aspects of Oral literature which serve as useful raw materials for the artists alike. While Archetype is a primodal image of a figure, a thing or even a process, which repeats itself in the course of history. Myth is a fabulous story offering explanations and convictions of a people about such archetype figures and other metaphysical phenomena. Obaloyan, an erstwtule very big and popular town in history, is reduced to mere village by the activities of super-gnomes. The myth surrounding this incident has spanned several decades. This work confirms the potency and efficacy or otherwise of myths, legends, and Archetype as very useful raw materials for the narrators, artists and artiste
PLURALIZATION IN KORING
No full textThe central concern of this paper is to describe the rules underlying plural formation in koring. The number distinction is essentially between singular and plural. Three levels of plurization are identiofied:word, phrasal and sential. Our analysis demonstrates that there are several rules involved in plurization in korin
GRAPHO-SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED POLITICAL SPEECHES OF SOME NIGERIAN MILITARY HEADS OF STATE
No full textThis study investigates how the non-professional politicians; - the military, when they become head of states use, the linguistic resources and devices of Grapho-syntax to convey their political ideas and thoughts. It is therefore, a part of the objectives of this study, to find out which of the components of linguistics resources; Grapho-syntactic features are mostly prominent in the speeches. It is also meant to unravel the thematic roles played by these prominent features in the realisation of the political intentions of the speakers. The data used for the work is based on some selected political speeches of the military heads of state that ruled the country from 1966 to 1983. The data or speeches were analysed from the perspectives of the linguistic stylistic approach and linguistic model of Systemic Functional Grammer of Berry (1975). It is discovered from the analysis that the language of the military political rulers is permeated with sparsely use of punctuation marks (open use of punctuation marks) and this is claimed to be in tune with swift and quick manner with which they carry out their administrative duties. Besides, their language in political addresses is mainly of simple declarative sentences. This style too, is in concomitance with their simple and unbureaucratic way of governing
PRAGMA-STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF MAJOR GENERAL J. T. AGUIYI IRONSI’S MAIDEN SPEECH
No full textThis paper specifically reviews the language of major General Aguiyi Ironsi’s maiden speech from the perspective of speech Acts theory as formulated by John Austin in 1962 and developed by Searle 1999. However, it is brought to the open in his research how the language of the speech under review in relation to its context of use,influences to a large degree the interpretation generated from the speech. It also explores how the language of the speech has been pragmatically organised and planned towards luring and mobilising people to accept the government in power. Towards this end, the speech is framed in such a way that it caters for all shades of opinions, interests groups and thoughts. This then informs the use of various kinds of illocutionary tactics employed in the speech, which are meant to cajole and elicit the support of the citizens for the new government
A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF LAND AGREEMENT
No full textAn analytical discourse approach to the study of legal document brings within discourse circuit, the age - long statement that “action speaks louder than voice”. Legal document has both linguistic and non linguistic modes of communication ranging from textual uniqueness of the syntactic structures and semiotic features which characterize printed legal document’s content to the meaning –complementary, contextually-dependent pieces of information that make up a discourse meaning . Meaning at discourse level is once again portrayed as an essential product of text-content interaction. This paper therefore offers discourse analysis- a purely language-oriented approach- as a common and an alternative way of decoding meaning from a legal document so that the communicative essence of a legal discourse will not be an exclusive privilege of only “the learned friends” but also of the literate non-professional