JournalTOCs

International Journal of Linguistics
Number of Followers: 12

This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Print) 1948-5425
Published by Macrothink Institute

[47 journals]

Productivity and Constraint on Multi-Verb Constructions in Old Japanese
- Authors: Wenchao Li
  Pages: 1 - 26
  Abstract: Old Japanese is a dead language from the Asuka and Nara periods (7th - 8th century AD). Its writing system, case system and word order make it distinct from Modern Japanese in many respects. This study presents a quantitative linguistic analysis to the patterns of multiple verb combining in Old Japanese. To this end, two databases were built: multi-verb construction in the Early Nara Period written in variant Chinese (AD. 712) and purely classical Chinese (AD. 720), and multi-verb construction in the Late Nara Period written by man’yōgana (AD. 759).The findings reveal that, in the Nara period, the formation of multi-verb constructions is an issue of verb serialisingand is facilitated at a syntactic level. Grammaticalisation of unaccusative change-of-state verbs and motion verbs results in tighter integrity of multiple verbs, which, in turn, inspires the device of verb compounding.The entropy ofthe Vfinal unaccusative reveals that the formation via verb serialising is more productive than the formation via verb compounding.
  PubDate: 2019-08-07
  DOI: 10.5296/ijl.v11i4.15002
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 4 (2019)
Significant Patterns of APPRAISAL in Online Debates
- Authors: Bandar Alhumaidi A. Almutairi
  Pages: 27 - 69
  Abstract: This study aims to shed some light on the role of evaluative language in the process of persuasion in the newly emerging genre of ‘online debate’. Drawing on the appraisal framework within Systemic Functional Linguistics, this study investigates the distributional patterns of appraisal choices and co-choices in a corpus of widely viewed online debate texts (ODTs). Based on the voting results of each ODT, textual parts of the corpus were segmented into two main categories: ‘more persuasive’ and ‘less persuasive’ debaters. Supported by two specially designed software tools, the ODT corpus was manually annotated for appraisal features, and frequencies of choices and co-choices were extracted automatically. In line with previous research, the findings of this study revealed significant appraisal patterns associated with the ODT debaters, in addition to unique co-patterns characteristic of the ‘more persuasive’ and ‘less persuasive’ debaters. These findings are discussed in terms of potential implications, limitations and directions for future research.
  PubDate: 2019-08-07
  DOI: 10.5296/ijl.v11i4.15040
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 4 (2019)
Human Agency and Its Discursive Practices
- Authors: Qiuming Lin
  Pages: 70 - 81
  Abstract: This paper is aimed to provide a review about the studies on how people practice their agency in various types of discourse and to suggest the possible directions for future research. The paper begins with the introduction to different conceptualizations of human agency in philosophy and sociology. Next, it reviews how human agency has been explored in written discourses like textbooks, news stories and novels, as well as in spoken discourses including conversations and oral narratives. Then, it highlights the relationship between agency and systemic functional linguistics, as the latter has been effectively applied to analyzing human agency in discourse. The review shows that studies on discursive practice of agency have demonstrated the following features. First, human agency has been studied in various types of discourse with methodological biases. Second, the majority of the studies take a relatively static view towards agency within a particular discourse. Third, most of the studies are qualitative analysis to selected individual sentences or utterances. At the end of the paper, suggestions are given for further research based on the research gaps identified.
  PubDate: 2019-08-07
  DOI: 10.5296/ijl.v11i4.15229
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 4 (2019)
The Impact of Colour Foregrounding on the Text of the Novel
- Authors: Kira Andreeva
  Pages: 82 - 94
  Abstract: The article aims at the discovery of the role of colour foregrounding in the interplay with the actualization of emotional-psychological state of characters in literary text. The significance of the paper is determined by the following. Among various new colour publications psychological testing based on statistical data has prevailed. General explorations, with statistical reports, receive positive reception, the results are, mostly, convincing and relevant. However, a certain research gap concerning such explorations could be revealed. Any scholar is supposed to be interested not only in getting digital results, but also in the research of individual preferences of colour, as well. Literature mirrors the existing differing approaches to colour, whereas most talented creative writers also render individual visualization of the rainbow of colours reflecting their special meanings in the text. The empirical research of this article was provided by the texts of Steven King’s novel:” Rose Madder”. The paper explored the mechanism of intricate connection of actualization of colour: RED, with continuous changes of emotional-perceptional state of the main novel’s character: Rosie. Qualitative interdisciplinary approach provided exciting results. The data evidently prove the success of King’s artistic aim; his undoubted talent and skillful approach to the choice of colour nominations and their foregrounding in novel’s text construal.
  PubDate: 2019-08-07
  DOI: 10.5296/ijl.v11i4.15230
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 4 (2019)
A Semantic Study of Jordanian Bedouin First- Name Preferences
- Authors: Doa’a Al-Momani
  Pages: 95 - 110
  Abstract: The present study is an investigation of the Preferences of Bedouin first- names in central Bedouin tribes (Al-dʒiiza District) in Jordan from the semantic and sociolinguistic points of view. This study aims at exploring the semantic meanings of the Bedouin first- names (Note 1). It, also, aims at discussing the socio-cultural influences that come behind these Bedouin personal first-names. To achieve the goal of this study, 177 personal names were collected from the passports of Bedouin people whose years of birth were from 1950 to 1960 registered in the Civil Status and Passport Department. Then names were classified into seven main categories based on their meanings and the socio-cultural factors that they reflect. For example, names taken from the surrounding environment, animal and birds, times of the day, plants, personality and body parts, weather, and travelling. As a result, we can conclude that Bedouin names aren’t arbitrary and carry semantic and sociolinguistic implications.
  PubDate: 2019-08-07
  DOI: 10.5296/ijl.v11i4.15231
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 4 (2019)