Encoding experiencers in the proverbs of Nigerian English

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Published: Jun 21, 2021
Keywords:
encoding, experiencers, Nigerian English, proverbs, participant roles

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Mary Daniel Nimram
Department of English, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria
Daniel Nanlir Nimram
Department of English, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria
Nuhu Azi Joseph
Plateau State University, Bokkos

Abstract

This study investigates how Experiencers are encoded in the proverbs of Nigerian English. There are participants in different discourse situations who play common roles one of which is the experiencer. Blake (1994:68) notes that there are no agreed criteria and there is certainly no agreed consensus on the universal inventory. Semantic roles are useful for identifying various subclasses of verbs and occasionally are reflected by individual morphemes in natural languages. Experiencer is an entity that receives a sensory impression, but does not control the event or perform it on purpose in a discourse: Samson saw the snake, Janet liked the ring, James is sick, are examples of Experiencers in English. The study draws data from Jowitt (2005:145-6) where proverbs were categorized into groups namely: those that Nigerian English (NE) shares with Standard English (SE) and those which appear to be peculiar to Nigeria or which are at least not found in British English (BE). The study found out that like in Yoruba and other Nigerian Languages, Experiencers are encoded as subjects, possessors within a subject and as objects.


 

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How to Cite
Encoding experiencers in the proverbs of Nigerian English. (2021). Journal of Linguistics and Foreign Languages, 2(3). https://royalliteglobal.com/jlfl/article/view/640
Issue
Vol. 2 No. 3 (2021)
Section
Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Mary Daniel Nimram, Department of English, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria

  1. Mary Daniel Nimram, is a lecturer with the department of English, University of Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria. She has the following qualifications:
  2. BA English language, University of Jos, 2009
  3. DELF A1, Alliance Francaise, Jos, 2010
  4. PGDE (Post Graduate Diploma in Education) 2012
  5. MA English language, University of Jos, 2015
  6. Advanced Diploma in Public Administration, University of Jos, 2017.
  7. D English Language, University of Jos, on-going

Daniel Nanlir Nimram, Department of English, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria

  1. Daniel Nanlir Nimram, is a lecturer with the department of English, University Nigeria. He has the following qualifications:
  2. BA English language, University of Jos, 2009
  3. PGDE (Post Graduate Diploma in Education) 2012
  4. MA English language, University of Jos, 2015
  5. D English Language, University of Jos, on-going

 

His research interests include Translation, Phonology studies, New Englishes and Corpus Linguistics.He is presently teaching Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology, Creative writing and the English language in Nigeria.  He is presently the time table coordinator in the department.

How to Cite

Encoding experiencers in the proverbs of Nigerian English. (2021). Journal of Linguistics and Foreign Languages, 2(3). https://royalliteglobal.com/jlfl/article/view/640

References

Andrews, A. D. 1985. The major functions of the noun phrase. In: Shopen, T. (ed.), Language typology and syntactic description. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Vol. 1. 62-54.

Blake, F. R . (1994). A semantic analysis of case. In” Curme Volume of linguistic studies ed.

Jackendoff, R. 1983. Semantics and cognition. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.

Marlina, R. (2012). The analysis of thematic role in narrative texts of senior high school textbooks. English Review: Journal of English Education, 1 (1), 80-88

Jowitt, D. R. (2005). Nigerian English usage: an introduction. Longman Nigeria Plc.

Kasper, S.A. (2008). A comparison of thematic role theories. Marburg.

Meider, Wolfang. 1989. American Proverb as Study of Texts and Context. New York. Peter Lang.

O’ Grady W. et al. (1991). Contemporary linguistics. New york: Cambridge University Press.

Saeed, J. I. (2009). Semantics. UK: Wiley, Blackwell.

Talmy, L. (1985). “Lexicalisation patterns”. In: Shopen T. (ed). Language typology and syntactic description. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Vol. 3. 57-149.

Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN) -LLL 303 Semantics-August, 2016.

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