Discourse and Text Linguistics Commons^™

A Liminal Examination Of Always Already Meaning Within Language, James Richard Starr

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis juxtaposes Plato's allegory of the cave with Jacques Derrida's concept of the always already aspect of meaning, a concept derived from Ferdinand de Saussure's work. This theoretical investigation examines the implications of universal Signified forms of word meanings for postmodern composition theory.

If Your God Has Really Spoken To You… Then All The World Must Hear It: The Discourses Of Revelation And Satire In Salman Rushdie’S The Satanic Verses, Conrad William

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

In his essay, “Is Nothing Sacred?”, Salman Rushdie lays out a place for literature as an arena in which various perspectives may interact. He thereby provides a context for the controversy regarding his books, most particularly The Satanic Verses. Despite his claims, however, literature, as Rushdie conceives it, operates not simply as an arena for discourse but similarly as a rule-maker, controlling the discourse which operates within its bounds. The Satanic Verses, in particular, suggests that revelation as it passes through unstable and hybrid human language loses its authority and power to speak purely or dogmatically. In so …

Derrida’S Deconstruction Of Logocentrism: Implications For Trauma Studies, Julie Elaine Goodspeed-Chadwick

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

This article examines Derrida’s conception of logocentrism as it is discussed throughout the entirety of his seminal work Of Grammatology, as well as in his collected interviews, Points...: 1974-1994. Systematically refuting logocentrism, Derrida’s deconstruction enables exposure of the mechanisms, such as binary constructions, that exert a dominant—and domineering—influence over marginalized people, places, and concepts. Specifically, presence and the (falsehood of the) totality of the sign define logocentrism, and these terms cannot productively contribute to trauma studies because it is precisely in texts and textuality that embodied states can be studied. Texts are themselves material embodiments that display …

Spivak After Marx After Derrida, Philip Leonard

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Spivak is often viewed as an unequivocally deconstructive theorist, and she frequently reinforces this impression by proclaiming her allegiance to Derrida's ideas. Recent comments by her suggest, however, that there are limits to her deconstructive convictions. This essay considers some of Spivak's debts to Derrida's work, though it is primarily concerned with those occasions when she states her misgivings about his ability to understand postcoloniality, global power, and resistance movements. Reading Marx more accurately would, she insists, have allowed Derrida both to grasp capitalism's complex logic and to consider the effects of subaltern interventions upon capitalism's global authority. Such an …

Trop De Soleil Tue L'Amour : Une Expression De L'Écriture Du Mal-Être De Mongo Beti, Rodolphine Sylvie Wamba

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

The classical and dissident African writer Mongo Beti perpetually uses the theme of man’s quest for freedom in everything he does. In fact, the philosophy of “Rubénism” is found in each of his works. Given that man must survive in the “ocean of shit” he lives in, the writer, using a popular language, freely chooses to add some humour to everyday life. Thus, the text we studied appeared as a genuine thriller, complete with comedy and tragedy, which presents a deviation from more formal writing. This is the main idea of this analysis, which consists of showing Trop de soleil …

Institutionalizing Gender And Sexuality In A Call-In Radio Advice Program: A Characterization Of Loveline, Meagan P. Storey

English Theses & Dissertations

Previous studies of advice characterized it as a discourse in which authority is afforded to the giver by virtue of being asked for advice. As an authoritative discourse, advice sets the standards by which interlocutors base their judgments of normalcy. The consequences of these judgments are multiplied when advice is given as part of public, institutional talk, such as with radio call-in programs. This thesis examines how the authoritative discourse of global advice (public, commercial advice) is used to construct and normalize human experiences, specifically gender and sexuality. This study is based on an analysis of ten audio-taped episodes, each …

Analisis Tautan Dan Runtutan Dalam Teks Klasik Dan Moden, Hasnah Mat Adnan

Student Works (2000-2009)

Research in this field has touched beyond grammatical barrier, which is specification of traditional about Malay discourse and modern type. The to two main aspects, being the base of text, which are cohesion and coherence will be the main focus in this investigation. One who investigates the aspect of cohesion without studying the aspect of coherence in a discourse is not complete as both are linked to one another. Although both are different concepts, they are revealing continuous interplay at the level of textual structure. Cohesion, being the form and coherence as the function of meaning should not be ignored …

Explorations Into Cohesive Conjunctions In Political Speeches, Chithra Palaniandy

Student Works (2000-2009)

The present research is a study of the discourse semantic stratum within the systemic functional theory of language. It focuses on cohesion in written discourse and more specifically, on conjunctions in authentic texts. Five written­ to-be-read speech texts delivered by the then Minister of Education Dato' Sri Najib Tun Abdul Razak were chosen for the analysis of the cohesive conjunctions present in them. These texts belong to the genre of political discourse, which fall under the factual expositions of the hortatory type. Besides identifying a range of conjunctions used, and establishing the categories they belonged to, - additive, adversative, causal …

An Analysis Of Nominal Groups In Inspirational Writings : A Systemic-Functional Approach, Wai To Wong

Student Works (2000-2009)

The Nominal Group (NG), which carries lexical content, is part of a clause that contains nouns, determiners, numerals, epithets, classifiers and qualifiers. This paper gives an overview of how NGs function in response to the concepts found in inspirational writings with Christian themes. The NGs are selected from five different sources on such writings. The NGs are quantitatively and qualitatively described and analysed in both their logical and experiential structures. The theoretical foundations of Systemic Functional Grammar are adapted for use, following the framework espoused by M A K Halliday (1994), for the NG analysis. The NGs are first demarcated, …

Analisis Wacana Tafsiran Al-Quran : Tumpuan Surah Al-Fatihah, Abdul Hamid Sulaiman

Student Works (2000-2009)

The objective of this research is to introduce a discourse analysis method found in Islamic writings. This research shows that knowledge in this field does not belong to the Western scholars only. The author has chosen a discourse analysis method that benefits a wider scope of audience and of better preference to study. A discourse study of the meaning of The Quran (tafsir) is the first preference in Islam. There are so many tafsir made by Islamic scholars ever since the past decades until today. They were made in various methodology and backgrounds of the authors. The tafsir of al-Quran …

Makna Tersirat Di Sebalik Ayat Tanya : Satu Kajian Deskriptif Dalam Surah Al-Naml, Abdullah Haron

Student Works (2000-2009)

The objectives of this research on the " Hidden meaning of the sentences in the form of  question " are to identify and to analyze the meaning in the usage of" sentences in the  form of question ". Fallowing it, the result of the research is written in a  comprehensible way and can provide satisfaction to the readers.  Generally, in the usage of language there are questions that do not require answers from  the listeners. The speakers intelligently conveys his or her message indirectly through  the questions. The listener will understand the meaning of the sentence in the form of …

Persuasion In Thesis Writing, Faridah Noor Mohd. Noor

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study is an attempt to suggest that persuasion is employed in thesis writing . Based on the Social Constructionist Approach , the present study proposes that persuasion in thesis writing is implicit. This is in line with the demands of the academic community that expects scientific language to be objective. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted in the study. The major study is a qualitative analysis based on a corpus made up of fourteen (14) Master's theses that were randomly selected from the Arts and Science fields. Two quantitative analyses were also conducted on the corpus. The first …

Perkamusan Melayu : Sumbangan Data Korpus Berkomputer, Norliza Haji Jamaluddin

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study is on the definition aspect in Malay lexicography with the focus on kamus Melayu Inqqeris Dewan. The definition aspect being discussed in this thesis is on the way the definition is done based on the COBUILD definition practice. The elaboration of every word entry is based on the analysis of the computer corpus data. There are six chapters in this thesis . The first chapter provides the background of the study, the objectives, scope and methodology. Chapter II is on the lexicographic convention and definition practice by the COBUILD and kamus Dewan projects. Chapter III presents the computer …

Since Joseph Smith's Time: Lexical Semantic Shifts In The Book Of Mormon, Renee Bangerter

Theses and Dissertations

In the years since Joseph Smith completed the translation of the Book of Mormon, the English language has changed; some common phraseologies and word meanings are dissimilar to today's. Often, in reading the Book of Mormon, we impose our current definitions onto terms that in 1830 had a different meaning. Our interpretation of these words, as well as the passages in which they are found, is skewed by our modern definitions. These words, when they occur in the Book of Mormon, demonstrate dialectal and obsolete senses. In the case of some words, the dialectal or obsolete sense is so far …

Discourse Markers: Functions Of /JaʿNi/ In Educated Egyptian Arabic, Amani Elshimi

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This is a study in conversation analysis focusing on the analysis of the discourse marker /jacni/ in Egyptian Arabic. Markers are defined as discourse deictic expressions that link together, and signal boundaries between, discourse structures. They operate on all three levels of discourse proposed by Halliday (1970) - textual, ideational and interpersonal. Using direct observation techniques, the distribution, form and function of the marker /jacni/ were examined in the language of educated Egyptian subjects on radio and television interviews. Two variables were taken into account - speaker gender and topic type. Using syntactic position and phonological form as guidelines for …

A Syntactical Approach To Mr. Collins' Letter, Shixing Wen

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Kidwatching Going Beyond The Language Of The Test, Abha Gupta

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

A study examined the linguistic forms in the discourse of speakers during a language test to indicate why they use certain specific forms over others. Ten children were given the Grammatical Analysis of Elicited Language--Simple Sentence Level Test (GAEL), a language proficiency test for hearing-impaired children in the age group of 4 to 8 years. Three students were videotaped during administration of the test, and the other students' final responses (omitting the intermediate discourse) were recorded. Some of the test items on which the maximum number of children deviated from the target response were analyzed for common traits and classified …

The Japanese/American Interface: A Crosscultural Study On The Approach To Discourse, Hitomi Tamura

Dissertations and Theses

This study attempted to explore one aspect of the communicative styles of Japanese and Americans: their approach to discourse. In a literature review, four distinctive characteristics were surveyed: linear/nonlinear presentation, inductive/ deductive reasoning, explicit/implicit communication, and analytical/emotional statements. The American style of argument was characterized by:

1) a linear presentation as evidenced by its preference for a sequential paragraph development, its reliance on logic, and its direct introduction of the subject.

2) either inductive or deductive reasoning.

3) explicit communication as shown by its emphasis on the use of concrete language, definite qualifiers, clearly stated conclusions and a wider perspective. …

The Role Of Language In The Theory Of Communication Of Nicolas Malebranche, Thomas M. Carr Jr.

French Language and Literature Papers

Nicolas Malebranche (1638–1715) is perhaps the most important French philosopher between Descartes and the Revolution of 1789. His synthesis of Cartesian elements and Augustinianism in the last quarter of the seventeenth century had great influence on several generations of thinkers before the rationalism he represented was replaced by the new Lockian sensualism. There has been a European revival of interest in Malebranche in the last twenty years, centering around the first critical edition of his complete works, a task headed by the Belgian historian of philosophy André Robinet, and there are signs that American interest is growing as well with …

The Presuppositions Of Name-Calling In English, Robert S. Haller

Department of English: Faculty Publications

I have offered evidence that name-calling is a linguistic act which correlates the assumption of a status-relation between speaker and addressee with the use of terms marked (+abusive). To call someone a bastard, for.this reason, is not understood as the attempt to categorize him according to some term whose meaning, in the ordinary sense, is a list of lexical features. Rather it is the attempt to categorize him as without status in relation to the speaker himself, in defiance of his expectations, and because he has himself deserved it by himself invoking such a right over the speaker. This understanding …

Semantic Constituents Of Constructions Taking That-Clauses, Robert S. Haller

Department of English: Faculty Publications

What this paper has tried to do is to present some data which would have to be accounted for in an adequate semantic theory, and to suggest some of the specific elements of such a theory. A semantic theory must presuppose the existence of modal operators on every utterance, and would explain the meaning of any discourse as the relation among its medals. Logical theory has always done this, in taking every proposition of an argument as an element of the modal relations making up the argument. A semantic theory would have to specify the relations among medals which would …