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Humanities
- ISSN: 2155-7993
- Journal of Modern Education Review
A Pragmatic Analysis of Obolo Names
Jones G. I. Ayuwo
(University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria)
Abstract: Pragmatics is frequently conceptualized as the science of language use, the study of context-dependent meaning and the study of speaker-intended meaning, presupposing the existence of language, language user and context on the one hand, and context-independent meaning on the other. This paper is pragmatic analysis of Obolo names. In view of this, the objectives of this paper therefore were to find out how Obolo proper names were analysed based on context as well as how these personal names were interpreted in the Obolo worldview. To actualize this, the researcher gathered data through introspection, personal interviews, and extensive library materials on pragmatics. Lawal’s (1992) model of pragmatic theory was also used to analyze the data gathered. Following this analysis, the paper observed that Obolo personal names are majorly contextual in nature and that virtually all Obolo proper names have a background meaning on which they stand; they also have direct, indirect as well as intended speech act they perform. The paper also observed that Obolo personal names have situational, psychological as well as sociological competences. This means that Obolo proper names don’t just serve as a way of identification of their bearers but also have such import that depicts experiences and situations surrounding the bearers or bearers’ parents.
Key words: pragmatics, context, names and Obolo personal names
