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ABSTRACT
In Tagalog discourse, pronouns take the place of full noun
phrases only under certain conditions. In most cases, third
person pronouns are employed to track referents across
clauses. However, there are instances that demonstratives
are used in lieu of third person pronouns. It is the task of
this study to illustrate the usage types of demonstratives
other than deixis and to describe the conditions that
motivate the speaker to show preference for demonstrative
pronouns over personal pronouns. It will show the
difference between using personal pronouns and
demonstrative pronouns to track topical nominal across
clauses: primary topics are referred to by personal pronouns
while secondary topics are referred to by demonstrative
pronouns; how these referents also change depending on
the point of view in different parts of the discourse with the
change of primary and secondary topics.
General Terms
Tagalog Morphosyntax, Typology, Philippine Linguistics,
Discourse Narrative
Keywords
Pronouns, Discourse, Demonstratives, Deixis, Topicality,
Reference-tracking
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
A narrative discourse describes a series of interdependent
events, usually in the past. This kind of discourse is usually
centered on a specific actor or actors. The events in a
discourse are arranged chronologically and are oriented
around a specific topic or referent. In Tagalog, a pronoun
tends to refer to a topical participant [10]. Pronouns are
employed to track referents across clauses in a narrative.
Pronouns take the place of full noun phrases in discourse
but only in certain cases. In most cases, third person
pronouns are used as substitutes for noun phrases. There
are instances, however, that instead of third person
pronouns, speakers tend to use demonstrative pronouns to
refer to the participant in discourse.
It is the task of this study to demonstrate the other usage
types of demonstratives other than deixis and to describe
the conditions that motivate the speaker to show preference
for demonstrative pronouns over personal pronouns. It will
show the difference between using personal pronouns and
demonstrative pronouns to track topical nominal across
clauses: primary topics are referred to by personal pronouns
while secondary topics are referred to by demonstrative
N-(k)aka-ka-inis
PERF(n)-paka-RED-inis
to.
ABS.DIST
2.
N-(k)aka-ka-inis
PERF(n)-paka-RED-inis
Youre annoying.
ka.
ABS.DIST
The author explains that the reason behind the use of the
demonstrative to or ito this in (1), instead of the personal
pronoun ka (clitic form of ikaw) you used in (2), was to
lessen the intensity of the expression so as not to be
offensive to the hearer and pass it off as a playful comment.
This would show that there is a perceived distance when
using demonstratives instead of personal pronouns. It
seems less offensive to be told Nakakainis to as opposed to
Nakakainis ka which both mean Youre annoying. The
demonstrative would stand for something like,walang
personalan pero...
1.2. Previous Studies
Pronouns belong to a closed syntactic class and function as
replacement of full noun phrases. Nolasco [14] identifies
five types of pronouns in Philippine languages. They are
personal pronouns, interrogative pronouns, demonstrative
pronouns, reflexive pronouns and indefinite pronouns. He
also said that pronouns exhibit clitic behavior. They
typically occupy the second position in a clause, following
the first full word.
Nagaya [13] demonstrated in his study that, in Tagalog,
pronominalization is described to be that which expresses
the continuity of topics. Nagaya said that like all other
languages, in Tagalog when a participant has been
introduced in discourse, they are then subsequently referred
to by non-lexical forms in succeeding clauses for the reason
of speakers economy. The non-lexical form employed is
pronouns. They tend to refer to topical participants in
discourse. He used Tagalog pear stories as his data and he
was able to show in one part of the transcribed narrative
where a young boy took the basket of pears away, with the
boy as the main topic of the paragraph that once the boy
was introduced, he was then subsequently referred to by
personal pronouns like siya and niya.
7.
8.
9.
4.
13.
In
Focu
s
Activat
ed
Familiar
Uniqule
Identifiable
Referential
Type
identifia
ble
Form:
It
Them
they
This
that
That (noun)
this (noun)
The (noun)
This (noun)
(indefinite
use)
A (noun)
do this and also how the hearer/s cope or follow the train
of thought of the speaker.
2.
PRONOMINAL
TAGALOG
SYSTEM
OF
Oblique
akin
kanita/kanata
iyo
kanya
atin
amin
inyo
kanila
Oblique
dito, nito
diyan
doon
Ito ay lapis.
30.
Iyan si Pedro.
31.
The Distribution of
DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
and PERSONAL PRONOUNS in
Discourse
Ergative
Absolutive
niya (338)
siya (240)
Oblique/
Genitive
sa kanya (75)
nito (378)
ito (235)
dito (15)
Medial
niyan (2)
Distal
noon/nun (0)
iyan/yan
(4)
iyon/yun
(2)
Diyan (1)
doon/dun (0)
6. REFERENCES
[1] Alonzo, A. S. (2011). Sweetest downfall. Precious Pages
Corporation. Quezon City, Philippines.
[2] Amor, V. (2011). Hot intruder: Rogue (the dashing
vagabond). Quezon City, Philippines: Precious
Pages Corporation
[3]
7. APPENDIX
The following are excerpts from the Pinoy romance novels
used in this study.
DIWA
Salamat sa kaibigan niyang si Maya ang unica hija ng
kapitan nila na isinama siya sa apartment nito sa
Maynila, may bago na siyang buhay.
Sa Maynila ay hindi na rin siya ang anak ni Maruca
Masalanta na tanyag na mangkukulam at manggugulang.
Niloloko nito ang mga kanayon nila sa pamamagitan ng
pagtitinda ng kung anu-anong orasyon, halamang gamot,
gayuma, nagmimilagrong tubig, at kung anu-ano pa. Iyon
ang raket nito.
At pagkalipas ng tatlong buwan, bumalik sa nayon ang
kababata at kaibigan niyang si Maya. Isinama siya nito sa
Maynila para tumao sa apartment nito. Magtutungo raw ito
sa ibang bansa at ayaw nitong iwan ang apartment nito
kaya gusto nito na siya muna ang tumira doon. Pagbalik
daw nito ay tutulungan siya nitong humanap ng trabaho at
doon na rin siya titira para may kasama ito. Hindi na siya
nag-isip. Sumama siya rito dahil mag-isa na siya sa nayon.
Kaya ngayon, hayun siya, mag-iisang linggo nang nasa
apartment ni Maya. Ang unang dalawang araw niya sa
Maynila ay ginugol nila sa paglilibot; para daw may alam
na siya sa lugar bago ito umalis.
Nang nagdaang araw ay tumulak na si Maya patungo sa
Korea. Babalik din ito pagkalipas ng ilang linggo.
Pakiramdam niya ay abnormal siya. Pero dahil kay Maya
na naniwala at tumanggap sa kanya nang buung-buo,
nagawa niyang yakapin ang kanyang kakayahan. Ayon
dito, hindi siya ang nag-iisang gifted sa mundo. Napagtanto
niyang tama ito.
Tulong po, sagot nito. Inilahad nito ang kanang kamay.
Enrique Ruiz. Tinanggap niya ang pakikipagkamay nito.