LANGUAGE IN INDIA

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Volume 23:7 July 2023
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A Pragmatic Analysis of Time and Circumstance Greetings among the Yoruba

ADEKUNLE Basirat Omolola, (Ph.D. In view)

Abstract

This study focuses on the pragmatic analysis of greetings among the Yoru`ba´ people. It aims at classifying greetings in relation to contextuality and help to present them as a socio-pragmatic tool for successful communication. The objectives of this study are to present a pragmatic analysis of participants’ competence in greeting encounters; solve the ambiguity in social greetings encounters; examine the politeness of greetings in relation to the linguistic element meaning; and explain the general social importance and functions of greetings in Yoru`ba´. The data for this study were gathered through participatory observation, non-participatory observation and interview methods. Interviews were conducted for 6 Yoruba native speakers (4 males and 2 females) residing in Ile-Ife in Osun State, Ibadan in Oyo State and OwodeYewa in Ogun State Nigeria. The Grice 1975 Co.operative principles are used for the analysis of this study. It was found that greetings in the Yorùbá cultural context are largely used to express more than social approval but express the situation and the interaction state of the interlocutors.Also, it is very hard to know the actual meaning of greetings in Yoruba except for the cultural meaning and context among these people. This study concludes that social greetings are often extended to cover cants of piety that reflect the past chivalrous daring and exploits cherished in the family line of the addressee to whom the greeting is intended.

Keywords: Greetings, Yoruba, Pragmatics, Politeness and Context

1. Introduction

Greeting expression is a phenomenon of all natural languages, though the importance attached to it is different from one language to another. Greetings can be seen as positive and negative politeness which we acquire in our native environment. However, greeting expressions in Yoruba society are seen as a social instrument used to integrate conversations. According to Duranti (1997), greetings are often believed to be one of the first verbal routines learned by children and certainly one of the first topics introduced in foreign language classes.

Genetically, Yoruba as a language belongs to the Kwa language family of Africa. The language is originally spoken by the people of Southwest of Nigeria. It should be noted that some natives are found in other countries like Cuba, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Sudan, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom, Brazil and the United States of America due to migration and the slave trade. According to Adeniyi (2018), the language has different dialects such as Ò?yó?, Èkìtì, Ìjè?bú, Ré?mo?, Ifè, Ìjè?s?à, Àkókó, Ìkálè?, Okun, È?gbá, Àwórì, Ìgbómìnà, Ò?wò?, Ìdànrè, È?gbádò, Ìlàje?, Kétu, Ò?dó, Yewa, Ànàgó, Ìbò?ló? among others. Recent research shows that the language is spoken by over 52 million speakers in the whole world of which 50 are native speakers while about 2 million are non-native speakers.

Among the Yoruba people, context always determines the actual meaning of a greeting. They condemn the coarseness and rebellious acts that could lead to social misconduct among strangers in their society, though, strangers are warmly accommodated. And it is believed eventual learning would be undertaken by them in the right greeting direction given a little while. These greetings are numerous but undetermined (greeting expressions can take different dimensions). As communication is vital, so also greeting is crucial to Yoruba people. Nevertheless, this study will solve the ambiguity in social greeting encounters; classifies greetings in relation to contextuality and present greetings as socio-pragmatic tools for successful communication.

The purpose of this research is to identify the various greeting expressions, their uses, their social functions and their importance among the Yoruba people. It solves the ambiguity in social greeting encounters and classifies greetings in relation to contextuality. It contributes to the application of Grice Cooperative principles. It presents greetings as a socio-pragmatic tool for successful communication. Finally, it will serve as research material for further studies on Yoruba greetings.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

ADEKUNLE Basirat Omolola, (Ph.D. In view)
Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Language
National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba
Abia State, Nigeria
basiratumi@gmail.com
+234 7063358747
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