The realization of interrogatives in Zulu
Mhlongo, Nelson Folishi
The purpose of this research is fourfold, namely to identify the different types of interrogative sentences used in Zulu; to describe the syntactic-semantic features of interrogative sentences; to point at the semantic interpretation which might be attached to specific syntactic interrogative sentences and to establish the pragmatic use of interrogative sentences. In the course of this study it became evident that the interpretation of interrogative sentences is bound to the pragmatic discourse context. For this reason it is concluded that the discourse context plays an indispensable role in the interpretation of interrogative pai1icles and/or sentences. The following are the main findings:
TYPES OF INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
The type of intenogative sentences identified are: the yes/no 'yebo/qha' answer question type, the 'phi/ni' questions, wh- questions, rhetoric questions, multiple whquestions and assertive questions. ft is concluded that the question tags do not exist in Zulu.
NARROW FOCUSING OF YES/NO 'YEBO/QHA' ANSWER QUESTION TYPES
The copulative prefix ng(i)-/y(i)- is prefixed to the nominal lexical item, or a low tone is inflected on the pre-prefix of the subject noun when it is focused. The object noun may be focused through the use of the emphatic determiner. Predicatives may be focused through infixation of the present tense morpheme ya-. When locatives/nouns are focused, emphatic determiners are used.
PREPOSING AND POSTPONEMENT OF INTERROGATIVE PARTICLES
The interrogative particle is µreposed when the subject noun is questioned while for the questioning of the object noun, postponement is used. When an emotive semantic moment of insistence is conveyed the subject and object may be focused through postponement and preposing respectively.
THE INTERPRETATION OF INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
Interpretation of intenogative sentences is complicated by factors such as: mood, modality, the c01motative and denotative of lexical items, the type of interrogatives sentences used and the pragmatic discourse context under which such questions are used.
SEMANTIC SHIFT OF CERTAIN LINGUISTIC UNITS DUE TO DISCOURSE CONTEXT
Certain interrogative tU1its undergo a semantic shift as a result of the discomse context in which they are uttered. Such shifts may reveal an erstwhile existence of such a meaning, for example, ulalelani? 'what are you listening at?' acquires the meaning 'why are you sleeping?'.; Die doel van hierclie verhandeling is viervoudig, naamlik om die verskillende ti pes vraagsim1e wat in Zulu gebruik word om vrae te stel, te identifiseer, om die sintaktiese en semantiese kenmerke van vraagsinne te identifiseer, om die semantiese interpretasie wat aan spesifieke inten·ogatiewe sinne geheg kan word aan die lig te bring en laastens om die pragmatiese gebruik van vraagsim1e te bepaal. Met verloop van hierdie navorsing het dit spoedig geblyk dat die interpretasie van vraagsinne nou verbonde is aan die pragmatiese disl<0erskonteks. Om hierdie recle speel die diskoerskonteks 'n onontbeerlike rol in die interpretasie van vraagpa11ikels en/of vraagsitme. Die volgende is die belangrikste bevindinge:
TfPES INTERROGA TIEWE SINNE
Die tipe interrogatiewe sinne wat geYdentifiseer is, is die ja/nee 'yebo/qha' antwoord tipes; die 'phi/ni' vrae; 'w-' vrae; die veelvoudige 'w-' vrae en versekerde vraagtipe. Vraagmerkers kom nooit in Zulu voor nie.
NOUE FOKALISERING VAN JA/NEE 'YEBO.Ql:-IA' ANTWOORDVRAAGTIPES
Die kopulatiewe prefiks ng(i)-/y(i)-word geprefigeer by nominale leksikale items, of 'n lae toon word gei'nflekteer op die prefiks wanneer die onderwerp gefokaliseer is. Die objek naamwoord word gefokaliseer deur objek voorplasing of die gebrnik van emfatiese bepalers. Predikate word gefokaliseer deur middel van die infigering van die teenwoordige tydsmorfeem -ya-. Wanneer lokatiewe beklemtoon word, word die emftiese bepalers gebruik.
VOORPLASING EN NAPLASING VAN INTERROGATIEWE PARTIKELS
Inten-ogatiewe partikels word voorgeplaas wanneer die onderwerpsnaamwoord bevraag word, terwyl vir emfase van die voorwerpsnaamwoord, naplasing gebruik word. Wanneer die e111otiewe semantiese betekenismoment van herhaling aangetoon word, word die onderwerp en voorwerp beklemtoon deur naplasing en voorplasing van die vraagpartikels respektiewelik.
INTERPRETASIE VAN INTERROGATIEWE SINNE
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Die interpretasie van interrogatiewc sinne word bemoeilik deur faktore soos: modus1 modaliteit, konotatiew{j en detonotatiewe betekenis van leksikale items, die tipe interrogatiewe sinne wat gebruik word en die pragmatiese diskoerskonteks waarin sulke vrae voorkom.
SEMANTIESE VERSKUIWING VAN SEKERE TAALELEMENTE AS GEVOLG VAN DISKOERSKONTEKS
Sekere interrogatiewe elemente ondergaan 'n semantiese verskuiwing as gevolg van die diskoerskonteks waarin hulle optree. Sulke verskuiwings vergestalt soms die oorspronklike betekenisse byvoorbeeld, ulalelani? 'waarvan luister u?' verkry die betekenis 'waarom slaap u?'.
Summaries in English and Afrikaans
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