The Pragmatic Functions of Using the Expression Mayyɪt ‘Dead’ in Jordanian Spoken Arabic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1501.31Keywords:
discourse analysis, pragmatics, Jordanian Spoken Arabic, dead, Arabic learnersAbstract
This study investigates the discourse analysis and the pragmatic functions of the expression mayyɪt (lit.: dead) and how students interpret it in Jordanian Spoken Arabic (JSA). It focuses on the intended meaning of using the expression mayyɪt in daily conversations among Jordanians. Data were collected from 72 undergraduate Jordanian students. The results of the study show that the connotative meaning dominates all the expressions explained in this study. None of the participants interpreted a single expression according to its lexical meaning alone. The results also reveal that the expression mayyɪt is used to serve 16 different pragmatic functions. However, the analysis shows that the expression mayyɪt is often used negatively in JSA; three functions are used positively, while the other functions of the expression are used negatively. This kind of knowledge can significantly benefit learners of JSA as a foreign language, without which learners may encounter some communication difficulties.
References
Al Rousan, R. (2015). The use of discourse marker maʕ nafsak in Saudi Arabic: A pragmatic perspective. International Journal of Linguistics, 7(3), 33-48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijl.v7i3.7669
Al Rousan, R., Al Harahsheh, A., & Huwari, F. (2020). The pragmatic functions of the discourse marker Bas in Jordanian Spoken Arabic: Evidence from a corpus. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 10(1). 130-142. http://dx.doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2020-0012
Al-Ghoweri, H. (2016). Pragmatic functions of adʒalakom’allah (May God elevate you) in Jordanian Spoken Arabic. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 2(6), 271-274.
Al-Harahsheh, A., & Kanakri, M. (2013). The Pragmatic functions and the translatability of ‘Tayib’ in Jordanian Spoken Arabic. US-China Foreign Language, 11(3), 196-202. http://dx.doi.org/10.17265/1539-8080/2013.03.004.
Al-Shishtawi, H. (2020). The pragmatic functions of mashi in Modern Arabic language. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 7(1), 32-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.30845/ijll.v7n1p5
Alazzawie, A. (2014). Yamawwad: A discourse and pragmatic marker in Iraqi Arabic. World Journal of English Language, 4(2), 30-39. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v4n2p30
Alazzawie, A. (2015). ʕadi as a discourse marker in Spoken Iraqi Arabic. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(7), 1352-1360. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0507.06
Brown, G., & Yule, G. (1983). Discourse analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511805226
Cruse, A. (2000). Meaning in language: An introduction to semantics and pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cutting, J. (2002). Pragmatics and discourse analysis. London: Routledge.
Fraser, B. (1990). An approach to discourse markers. Journal of Pragmatics, 14, 383-395. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-2166(90)90096-V
Hamdan, J., & Abu Rumman, R. (2020). The pragmatic functions of Yahummalali in Jordanian Spoken Arabic. Jordan Journal of Modern Languages and Literatures, 12(3), 327-345.
Hammouri, D. (2017). The pragmatic function of Yalla in Jordanian Spoken Arabic [Unpublished master’s thesis]. University of Jordan.
Kanakri, M., & Al-Harahsheh, A. (2013). The discourse analysis and pragmatics of ʔa:di in Jordanian Spoken Arabic. International Journal of English Linguistics, 3(6), 59-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v3n6p59
Komissarov, V. (1991). Language and culture in translation: Competitors or collaborators?. TTR: Traduction, terminologie, redaction, 4(1), 33-47. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/037080ar
Marmorstein, M. (2016). Getting to the point: The discourse marker yaʕni (lit. ‘it means’) in unplanned discourse in Cairene Arabic. Journal of Pragmatics, 96, 60-79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2016.03.004
Mehawesh, M., & Jaradat, A. (2015). Inshallah: Extensive flouting of Grice’s maxim of quality. Asian Social Science, 11(4), 319-327. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ass.v11n4p319
Rabab’ah, K., & Al-Saidat, E. (2014). Conceptual and connotative meanings of black and white colours: Examples from Jordanian Arabic. Asian Culture and History, (6)2, 255-260. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ach.v6n2p255
Verschueren, J. (1999). Understanding pragmatics. London: Edward Arnold.
Yule, G. (2020). The study of language (7th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
