An examination of the role of procedural meaning in the understanding of utterances in Gikuyu
Abstract
Communication is the backbone of human existence. However, every so often, people speak
and write and still fail to communicate. Communication can be enhanced when the speakers
of a language learn to employ all the various types of encoded meaning in their utterances.
Communication is the backbone of every society. Communication is said to be successful
when the speaker’s writers intended meaning is transmitted to the hearer/ reader.
The writer/ reader can enhance communication by maximizing the relevance of his
utterances. By using procedural meaning, a speaker reduces his audience’s processing effort
and makes his utterances more relevant. This study is an examination of the role of
procedural meaning in utterance interpretation. The study focuses on some linguistic items in
Gikuyu language that are procedural and their role in interpretation and comprehension of
utterances.
Data was elicited from different sources to validate generalisability of the findings. It is
evident from the study that procedural meaning plays a significant role in understanding of
utterances. The study has proven that procedural meaning aids in reference assignment and
leads to derivation of cognitive effects, thereby making utterances more relevant.
Citation
MASTERS OF ARTSPublisher
University of Nairobi