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εmbɔsì Definiteness: A Pragmatic Approach
Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- 1 Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Open Journal of Modern Linguistics·Volume 13 (2023)·Pages 163–173·Published 1 February 2023·DOI10.4236/ojml.2023.131010
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Abstract
This contribution examines the pragmatic approaches of definiteness in εmbɔsì language. The analysis reveals that εmbsì definiteness interacts with the pragmatic principles of familiarity as regards the second mention of the entity in the discourse, and identifiability with the hearer ability to uniquely identify the entity. In addition, the study shows that the contextual use of εmbɔsì definite description is subject of different functions. It refers to anaphora or situational reference, including the immediate and larger situations. εmbɔsì definiteness also plays the role function and, used with a post nominal demonstrative, it expresses the discourse prominence.
KeywordsDefinitenessεmb&#596sìFamiliarityIdentifiabilityFunctions
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