Abstract
Numeral classifiers are primarily used to provide semantic information about the physical and functional properties of objects, the cognitive categories of objects in a particular culture, and the perceptions of the speakers within a particular speech community towards the objects. Numeral classifiers of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Thai have been found to perform pragmatic functions as well. To identify if Malay does use numeral classifiers to perform a number of pragmatic functions, we analysed a 73,000-word modern Malay corpus targeted at both adult and young audience. Results indicate that in the modern Malay corpus, the Malay numeral classifiers perform several pragmatic functions in various contexts: they function as anaphoric and cataphoric references, as indicators of definiteness and indefiniteness, and as foregrounding mechanisms in modern Malay discourse. Using twelve instances of numeral classifier usage and omission in the modern Malay corpus, this study proposes that the absence of numeral classifiers in texts is not likely to be due to language users' ignorance of the need to use a numeral classifier or of the correct form of numeral classifiers. On the contrary, the absence of numeral classifiers in the corpus exhibits the Malay language users' knowledge of the pragmatic functions of Malay numeral classifiers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 137-153 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
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Keywords
- Definiteness
- Malay
- Numeral classifiers
- Pragmatic functions
- Referentiality
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Literature and Literary Theory
- Language and Linguistics
- Linguistics and Language
Cite this
The pragmatic functions of numeral classifiers in modern Malay written corpus. / Salehuddin, Khazriyati; Winskel, Heather; Maros, Marlyna.
In: GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2011, p. 137-153.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The pragmatic functions of numeral classifiers in modern Malay written corpus
AU - Salehuddin, Khazriyati
AU - Winskel, Heather
AU - Maros, Marlyna
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Numeral classifiers are primarily used to provide semantic information about the physical and functional properties of objects, the cognitive categories of objects in a particular culture, and the perceptions of the speakers within a particular speech community towards the objects. Numeral classifiers of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Thai have been found to perform pragmatic functions as well. To identify if Malay does use numeral classifiers to perform a number of pragmatic functions, we analysed a 73,000-word modern Malay corpus targeted at both adult and young audience. Results indicate that in the modern Malay corpus, the Malay numeral classifiers perform several pragmatic functions in various contexts: they function as anaphoric and cataphoric references, as indicators of definiteness and indefiniteness, and as foregrounding mechanisms in modern Malay discourse. Using twelve instances of numeral classifier usage and omission in the modern Malay corpus, this study proposes that the absence of numeral classifiers in texts is not likely to be due to language users' ignorance of the need to use a numeral classifier or of the correct form of numeral classifiers. On the contrary, the absence of numeral classifiers in the corpus exhibits the Malay language users' knowledge of the pragmatic functions of Malay numeral classifiers.
AB - Numeral classifiers are primarily used to provide semantic information about the physical and functional properties of objects, the cognitive categories of objects in a particular culture, and the perceptions of the speakers within a particular speech community towards the objects. Numeral classifiers of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Thai have been found to perform pragmatic functions as well. To identify if Malay does use numeral classifiers to perform a number of pragmatic functions, we analysed a 73,000-word modern Malay corpus targeted at both adult and young audience. Results indicate that in the modern Malay corpus, the Malay numeral classifiers perform several pragmatic functions in various contexts: they function as anaphoric and cataphoric references, as indicators of definiteness and indefiniteness, and as foregrounding mechanisms in modern Malay discourse. Using twelve instances of numeral classifier usage and omission in the modern Malay corpus, this study proposes that the absence of numeral classifiers in texts is not likely to be due to language users' ignorance of the need to use a numeral classifier or of the correct form of numeral classifiers. On the contrary, the absence of numeral classifiers in the corpus exhibits the Malay language users' knowledge of the pragmatic functions of Malay numeral classifiers.
KW - Definiteness
KW - Malay
KW - Numeral classifiers
KW - Pragmatic functions
KW - Referentiality
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M3 - Article
VL - 11
SP - 137
EP - 153
JO - GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies
JF - GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies
SN - 1675-8021
IS - 2
ER -