A Pragma-Semantic Analysis Of Jordanian Proverbs And The Factors Behind Their Misinterpretation
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Date
2021-05
Authors
Dawaghreh, Abdullah Mahmoud Mustafa
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Proverbs are replete with a rhetorical force and polymorphous nature which may
result in misinterpretation of proverbs or the main essence of a proverb not being fully
captured. Technically, such linguistic lacunae and drawbacks jeopardize the chances of
conveying the intended message appropriately. This can give rise to a state of imbalance
in the scale of communication and understanding. The language user, therefore, needs a
pragmatic competence to be able to interpret proverbs properly. The purpose of this study
is to examine the subtle implications and cryptic meanings of Jordanian proverbs from a
pragmatic and semantic perspective. An attempt is made by the researcher to show the
main linguistic factors that might give rise to difficulty in understanding Jordanian
proverbs. Data was collected orally. The researcher collected 322 proverbs from the
subjects of this study. Eighty proverbs have been randomly chosen. The data was studied
and analyzed in terms of pragmatic and semantic views. In other words, for the purpose
of achieving the objectives of this study, the researcher has adopted the linguistic approach
that relies on basic semantic and pragmatic concepts cogently advocated by mainstream
scholars of semantics and pragmatics such as Lawal et al. (1997), Grice (1975) and Searle
(1976). Obviously, the approach proves effective and fruitful in figuring out the cryptic
meaning that resides in Jordanian proverbs, let alone the fact that such a method of
analysis proves effective in showing the factors that impede the language user from
grasping the intended meaning of proverbs. It has been found that the pragmatic and semantic competence are by no means peripheral in decoding proverbs meanings. It is
also found that the process of misinterpreting proverbs is attributed to the sort of language
employed by proverbs such as ellipsis, repetition, figures of speech, connotative meaning,
literal vs. metaphorical meaning, loan words, and phonological and morphological
process. On the basis of the findings, recommendations were introduced towards more
sociopragmatic studies to unravel the cryptic meaning embedded in proverbs in different
societies. The research shows that semantic factors and linguistic competencies seem to
play a vital role in deciphering the cryptic meaning of proverbs.
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Keywords
linguistic