pragmatic markers in l1 luganda

304 Pages·2017·3 MB·English

PRAGMATIC MARKERS IN L1 LUGANDA-
L2 ENGLISH BILINGUAL SPOKEN
DISCOURSE: A RELEVANCE-THEORETIC
APPROACH
by
SARAH NAKIJOBA
Dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy in General Linguistics at the University
of Stellenbosch
Supervisor: Dr Kate Huddlestone
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Department of General Linguistics
March 2018
Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
Declaration
By submitting this dissertation, I declare that I understand what constitutes plagiarism, that the
entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof
(save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by
Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights, and that I have not previously in
its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification.
Sarah Nakijoba
March 2018
Copyright © 2018 Stellenbosch University
All rights reserved
i
Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

Abstract
In this dissertation, I examine the manifestation of Luganda and English pragmatic markers as
embedded elements, and analyse the procedural roles they play in facilitating interaction in
bilingual spoken discourse. Pragmatic markers (PMs) are procedural expressions such as so, but,
and kubanga (because), which facilitate interaction by guiding the hearer towards an interpretation
intended by the speaker. Spoken interactions involving bilingual speakers of L1 Luganda and L2
English are characterised by spontaneous code-switching, in which certain Luganda PMs are used
in English utterances as though they were native PMs, and vice versa. By focusing on the English
PM so and the Luganda PM kubanga as code-switched PMs in Luganda and English respectively,
the study aims to analyse their manifestation as single PM occurrences and as PMs occurring in
monolingual and bilingual combinations. The study examines the contextual, operational and
domain status of PMs as embedded elements, assesses their procedural roles in facilitating
interaction within their contexts, and establishes whether the procedural roles they play as
embedded elements in bilingual discourse are similar to, or different from, the roles they would
play in related monolingual contexts. The analysed PMs are extracted from a Luganda-English
bilingual spoken corpus of 192 000 words. The corpus was obtained from verbatim transcriptions
of 23 hours of audio recordings of interviews and discussions with 41 adult L1 Luganda-L2
English bilingual speakers. The analysis is theoretically informed by two approaches. The first is
Blakemore’s (1987, 2002) Relevance-theoretic (RT) notion of procedural encoding, which
assumes that PMs constrain the implicatures of the utterances they introduce by guiding the hearer
to the relevant contextual assumptions, thereby reducing their processing effort. The second
approach is Myers-Scotton’s (1993a, 2002) Matrix Language Frame (MLF) model, which explains
the structural configurations of embedded PMs within bilingual clauses. The findings show that,
as expected, the Luganda and the English PM systems are in contact. During bilingual
communication situations, bilingual speakers take advantage of the availability of the extra
resources and they employ PMs from both systems. To enhance communication, speakers select
PMs which they judge to be more relevant in encoding certain procedural relations from either
language. So and kubanga are examples of such PMs. As embedded PMs, so and kubanga operate
predominantly as code-switches, which occur singly and in monolingual and bilingual PM
ii
Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

combinations. Coexistence of Luganda and English PMs is evidenced in functional overlaps in
which more than one procedurally identical PM from Luganda and English co-occur in the same
environment and in literal translation where PMs in functional competition are partially or
completely translated. So and kubanga are multifunctional PMs and they operate on different
planes and domains to signal context-dependent procedural information. In general, the procedural
roles they encode as embedded elements are not significantly different from the roles they play in
similar contexts in monolingual discourse. To achieve more universal conclusions about the
nature, manifestation and procedural underpinnings of the contested aspects related to PMs, the
study recommends a comprehensive analysis based on multi-modal and cross-linguistic data, as
well as integrative synchronic and diachronic approaches to the analysis of PMs.

iii
Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

Opsomming
In hierdie proefskrif, ondersoek ek die manifestasie van, en die prosedurele rolle gespeel deur,
pragmatiese merkers in Luganda en Engels in die fasilitering van interaksie in tweetalige gesproke
diskoers. Pragmatiese merkers (PM’s) is prosedurele uitdrukkings soos so, but (maar) en kubanga
(omdat), wat interaksie fasiliteer deur die luisteraar na die spreker se beoogde interpretasie te lei.
Gesproke interaksie tussed tweetalige sprekers van L1 Luganda en L2 Engels word gekenmerk
deur spontane kodewisseling, waarin sekere Lugandese PM’s in Engelse uitsprake gebruik word
asof hulle inheemse PM’s is, en omgekeerd. Deur te fokus op die Engelse PM so en die Lugandese
PM kubanga (omdat) wat kodewisseling ondergaan het as PM’s in Luganda en Engels,
onderskeidelik, beoog die studie om hul manifestasie as enkel-PM-gebeurtenisse en as PM’s wat
in eentalige en tweetalige kombinasies voorkom, te analiseer. Die studie ondersoek die
kontekstuele, operasionele en domein-status van PM’s as ingebedde elemente, assesseer hul
prosedurele rolle in die fasilitering van interaksie binne hul kontekste, en bepaal of die prosedurele
rolle wat hulle as ingebedde elemente in tweetalige diskoers speel, soortgelyk is aan of verskil van
die rolle wat hulle sou speel in verwante eentalige kontekste. Die geanaliseerde PM’s is onttrek uit
'n Lugandese-Engelse tweetalige gesproke korpus van 192 000 woorde. Hierdie korpus is verkry
van 23 ure van onderhoud- en gespreksklankopnames, woordelik getranskribeer, met 41 volwasse
L1-Luganda L2-Engels tweetalige sprekers. Die analise word teoreties ingelig deur twee
benaderings. Eerstens, Blakemore (1987, 2002) se Relevansie-teoretiese (RT) begrip van
prosedurele-kodering, wat veronderstel dat PM’s die implikasies van die uitsprake wat hulle inlei,
beperk, deur die luisteraar na die relevante kontekstuele aannames te lei en sodoende hul
prosesseringsmoeite te verminder, en tweedens, Myers-Scotton (1993a, 2002) se Matrikstaalraam
(MLF) model, wat die strukturele konfigurasies van ingebedde PM’s in die tweetalige sinsdele
verduidelik. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat, soos verwag, die Lugandese en die Engelse PM
sisteme in kontak is. Tydens tweetalige kommunikasie-situasies trek tweetalige sprekers voordeel
uit die beskikbaarheid van ekstra hulpbronne en gebruik PM’s van beide sisteme. Om
kommunikasie te versterk, kies sprekers daardie PM’s wat hulle as meer relevant beoordeel vir die
kodering van sekere prosedurele verhoudings van albei tale. So en kubanga is voorbeelde van sulke
PM’s. As ingebedde PM’s kom so en kubanga dikwels as enkel-ingebedde elemente en in mede-
voorkoms in eentalige en tweetalige pare en klusters voor. Daar was gevalle van funksionele
oorvleueling waarin meer as een prosedureel-identiese PM in dieselfde omgewing gebruik is, 'n
iv
Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

aanduiding dat die Lugandese en Engelse PM sisteme saambestaan. So en kubanga is
multifunksionele PM’s met die vermoë om op verskillende vlakke en in verskillende domeine te
funksioneer om konteks-afhanklike inligting aan te dui. Die prosedurele rolle wat hulle as
ingebedde elemente enkodeer, verskil nie betekenisvol van die rolle wat hulle in soortgelyke
kontekste in eentalige diskoers speel nie. Ten einde meer universele gevolgtrekkings oor die aard,
manifestasie en prosedurele-onderbou van die betwiste aspekte van PM’s te bereik, beveel die
studie 'n omvattende analise aan, gebaseer op multi-modale en kruis-linguistiese data, asook
integrerende sinchroniese en diachroniese benaderings tot die analise van PM’s.

v
Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

Ekifunze
Ekiwakano kino kyekenneenya emigaso gy’obugambo obutono, okugeza nga kubanga, naye,
noolwekyo, n’engeri gyebukozesebwa mu mboozi enyumizibwa nga ya nnannimibbiri (code-
switched conversations). Emboozi za nnannimibbiri nga zinyumizibwa mu Luganda n’Olungereza
zooleka nti waliwo obugambo bw’omu Luganda obukozesebwa mu Lungereza nga gyoli nti bwa
Lungereza. Mu ngeri y’emu, waliwo n’obugambo bw’Olungereza obukozesebwa mu Luganda
ng’oyinza okulowooza nti bwa Luganda. Nga nneeyambisa akagambo k’Olungereza ka so
(noolwekyo) n’ak’Oluganda ka kubanga ng’eby’okulabirako, neekaliriza engeri obugambo obwo
gy’ebulabisibwa mu mboozi nga bwannamunigina (single occurrences) oba nga
bwannabansansasaana (co-occurrences) n’amakulu ge bukongojja mu mboozi mwebuba
bukozeseddwa. Ngezaako okuzuula enkozesa, ennambika n’emigaso gyabwo mu mboozi
ng’obugambo obugwira (embedded language elements) era n’okuzuula oba emigaso gyabwo
egy’obugwira gyawukana kwegyo gyebukola singa buba bukozeseddwa mu mbeera y’emu mu
nnimi mwe busibuka. Obugambo obubiri okwesigazimiddwa ekiwakano kino bunokoddwa mu
mboozi ezaakwatibwa ku katambi nga zaali zinyumizibwa abantu abakulu amakumi ana mu omu
nga boogera kyere mu nnimi bbiri: Oluganda n’Olungereza. Emboozi zonna awamu zaali za
ssaawa 23. Ebyogero ebikwate ku ntambi n’ebikolwa ebigenderako byawandiikibwa nebivaamu
ebigambo 192000. Ennyinyonnyola n’ennambika y’ensonga ku nkozesa y’obugambo buno
yeesigamiziddwa ku zimu ku nsonga omunoonyereza Blakemore (1987, 2002) z’alambika mu
mirimu gye, waalagira nti wadde amakulu g’obugambo buno si ga nkalakkalira era nga
tegakwatwako, obugambo buno bwa mugaso nnyo mu kubbulula amakulu mu mboozi kuba
busongera omuwuliriza ku ngeri gyateekwa okutaputa ekyo ekiba kyogeddwa mu mboozi
eyungiddwa n’obugambo buno. Kino ne kiyamba mu kukekkereza ku maanyi omuntu
geyandimaze ng’ataputa emboozi, bwogeraageranya n’emboozi obugambo buno mwebuba
tebukozeseddwa. Ensonga ezikwata ku kuzuula obugwira bw’obugambo, enneetobeka yaabwo mu
mboozi, engeri gy’ebwegatta mu ngeri ya nnabansasaana n’engeri gye bweyungamu mu mboozi
nga tebumenye mateeka gagobererwa nnimi zombi, byo byesigamiziddwa mu kunoonyereza kwa
Myers-Scotton (1993a, 2002). Okunoonyereza kukakasizza ekibadde kisuubirwa nti obugambo
bw’Oluganda n’Olungereza bukozesebwa wamu kintabuli n’ekigendererwa eky’okutumbula
vi
Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

amakulu g’emboozi. Obugambo so ne kubanga butobekebwa nga bwa nnamunigina (single
switches) oba nga bwa nnabansasaana (co-occurrences) era mu mboozi ezimu. Tulaba obugambo
obusoba mu kamu okuva mu nnimi zombi, Oluganda n’Olungereza, nga bukozesebwa wamu mu
mboozi kyokka nga bwombi bukongojja amakulu ge gamu. Mu mboozi endala, obugambo obumu
bukozesebwa nga buvvuunuuliddwa. Kino kyongera okulaga nti ennimi zino ziwolaղղana era nga
waliwo n’obugambo obweyisa ng’obuvuganya ne bunnaabwo. So ne kubanga bukongojja
amakulu ga njawulo nga gasinziira ku mboozi mwebuba bulabikidde era ku mitendera
egy’enjawulo (planes and domains). Okutwaliza awamu, amakulu obugambo gebukongojja nga
bukozesebwa ng’obugwira mu mboozi tegaawukana kiri awo na makulu gebukongojja singa buba
bukozeseddwa nga si bugwira mu mboozi ezeefaanaanyirizaako. Olwokuba nti waliwo
okukubagana empawa ku nsonga ez’enjawulo ku bugambo buno, okunoonyereza kukyetaagisa
okukolebwa okulaba ng’ensonga zino zimulungulwa. Okusobola okutuuka ku kinyusi ku nkola
y’obugambo buno mu nnimi ez’enjawulo, kyetaagisa okunoonyereza nga kwesigamiziddwa ku
byogero ebikwate nga bingi ate nga bya bika bya njawulo; okweyambisa ebyokulabirako okuva
mu nnimi ez’ebika eby’enjawulo, okusoma enkola y’obugambo buno nga bweri kaakano
(synchronic approach) wamu n’okubusoma mu ng’eri ya kannabyafaayo (diachronic approach).

vii
Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

Dedication
With deepest love and affection, I dedicate this work to my:
Precious husband: For being an adoring, caring and committed husband and a father
Beloved little children: For supporting a cause you understood little about
Sacrificial parents: For raising me in the fear of God
Great family: For being proud of me

viii
Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

Acknowledgements
The success of this project is attributed to a number of persons and institutions. I am grateful to all
of them, and they deserve mentioning. First, I give glory and honour to God almighty with whom
all things are possible. I testify of Your sufficient Grace and Mercies which felt new every
morning. Ebenezer, this far You have brought me.

I specially thank my supervisor, Dr Kate Huddlestone, whose inspiration and dedication has been
remarkable. You did not only foster the development of ideas in this dissertation from their
embryonic state, but you have been a co-pilot in steering this work to its completion. Your
availability for consultation, even at peak moments when it seemed impossible, your knowledge
and critical thinking have added great value to my academic career. To my MPhil supervisor, Prof.
Thorstein Fretheim at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, thank you for
introducing Relevance theory to me. I am grateful to Prof. Christine Anthonissen, Prof. Marianna
Visser and Dr Marcelyn Oostendorp at Stellenbosch University, for your academic guidance,
warm reception and moral support. I also thank the examiners for their valuable comments, which
have added great value to this dissertation. I am grateful to the Graduate School Stellenbosch
University for the scholarship funding and for all the academic support. I thank the teaching and
non-teaching staff, department of General Linguistics at Stellenbosch University and Department
of Linguistics, English Language Studies and Communication Skills at Makerere University, for
all your support. Dr Cindy Lee Steenekamp and your team, your commitment in ensuring that we
accomplish our studies on time has made this possible, and I am greatly indebted.

I extend my special gratitude to my study participants and consultants for your support during the
data collection and verification processes. Dr Kabugo, you have been my inspiration; Dr
Ssentanda, your availability for consultations, and your tutorials on Mendeley and PotPlayer
simplified my academic life; Dr Kawalya, thank you for your critical comments and provision of
written data; Dr Nakayiza, I thank you for the tips and for working through my lengthy chapter;
Dr Namyalo, thank you for introducing me to academic writing; Dr Bayiga, the sleepless nights of
peer debriefing during your visit at Stellenbosch were enriching; Dr Mugumya, your support
during the early years of concept development was significant; Dr Wagaba, the pen you gave me
was very inspirational; Mrs Rose Kisuule, thank you for being a reliable friend. I am grateful for
ix