Search

This research examines the deconstruction of meta-narratives in Howard Jacobson's novel The Finkler Question through a postmodern lens. The objective is to explore how the novel subverts grand narratives such as nationalism and religion, employing literary techniques to challenge dominant discourses. The background highlights the novel's focus on Jewish identity and nationalism. Using textual analysis, the methodology involves examining characters who resist or subvert dominant meta-narratives, constructing their own identities and meanings. The results reveal that The Finkler Question critiques the notions of a unified Jewish and British national identity, portraying diverse and fragmented communities. The novel employs irony, intertextuality, and ambiguity to create space for alternative perspectives. Recommendations include further research on postmodern critiques in literature and the promotion of inclusive and diverse societal values. The study contributes to discussions on postmodernism and literature by illustrating how the novel deconstructs meta-narratives and fosters individual identity construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study shows a new allophonic split in Pakistani English, challenging the widely accepted assumption that Pakistani English speakers produce/t/as a retroflex [t], claiming instead that they produce alveolar/t/in [st] cluster. Speech sound utterances of 15 undergrad PakE students were recorded to test this hypothesis. The participants involved in the experiments had spent more than ten years mastering PakE. From the utterances of participants, VOT of coronal stops and F3 of the following vowels were obtained. The findings showed that PakE speakers produced English/t/with a roughly 8-10 ms longer VOT in the words beginning with 'st' cluster. A significant F3 raising was also seen in the vowels after the coronal stops in 'st' clusters on word-initial margins. F3 raising is an indicator of the absence of retroflex gesture from the coronal stops. Based on these results, it is argued that a new allophonic split has emerged in the PakE, that is, it is produced as alveolar [t] in word-initial/st/clusters but a retroflex [ʈ] elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research endeavors to analyze two political speeches delivered by two Pakistani prime ministers Imran khan and Shahbaz Sharif in the 74th and 77th session of UN General Assembly. With the Van Dijk model of Critical Discourse Analysis as an analytical framework the current study examines two political speeches by two prime ministers of Pakistan at both Micro and Macro level to gain insight into their diverse political agendas, use of language, distinct perceptions and unalike intentions due their personal world view and unlike political background. The current study combines the micro level text analysis with the macro level focusing on the dichotomy of ‘Us versus Them’. This study investigates the significant difference in the usage of Micro and Macro structures in political speeches. Given study analyses different discursive devices used by both of them at micro level while at macro level as well positive self-representation and negative others representation. Then the section of discussion shows the difference in the usage of macro and micro structures. Findings are explained within the CDS framework of political discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to present a comprehensive acoustic study of epenthesis as a modification or simplification strategy used by Pahari ESL learners. The data are collected from ten participants by providing a list of English words containing a different combination of manner and place of articulation at onset and coda positions. Praat software is used for the acoustic analysis of the data. The study shows that Pahari learners use anaptyxis, or split pattern including insertion of/ɪ/,/e/,/ə/and/ʊ/at onset and coda positions while dealing with clusters which are not found in their language. In Pahari,/bl/,/kl/,/kr/,/gr/clusters are present at onset position, but the learners face problem in pronunciation of these clusters. Similarly, some clusters are not found in Pahari, but learners pronounce them easily. The factors that affect English acquisition of clusters by Pahari learners can be explored in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents data from Arabic loan word adaptation in Saraiki. The data are analyzed using Optimality Theory. The data show that speakers of a borrowing language sometimes change words of a source language obeying constraints which are neither operative in borrowing language, nor in a source language. Two types of repair strategy are discussed in the loanwords presented in this paper, namely gemination and stress shift. Vowel harmony also emerges in the context as a free ride natural effect. Based onthe evidence from Saraiki loanwords of Arabic origin, it is argued that in some contexts, speakers of a borrowing language develop a third phonology which is different from L1 (borrowing language) and L2 (source language) grammar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights changes which occur in Saraiki loanwords of Arabic origin to satisfy the prosodic constraints of the L1 grammar. Saraiki is a quantity sensitive language, which always stresses the heaviest syllable in a word. If a word has two syllables of equal weight, stress falls on the left or penultimate syllable. Saraiki does not allow an unstressed heavy syllable on the left-edge of a word. These constraints trigger paradoxical changes, which result into insertion and/or deletion in the Arabic loanwords. The words of LH (Light-Heavy) syllables in Arabic change into HH in Saraiki. This is done by insertion of a consonant in the penultimate light syllable which results in gemination (Arabic /abu:/ →Saraiki /əb.bu:/). Contrary to this, sometimes Saraiki speakers delete a consonant or a mora in the penultimate syllable, if the ultimate syllable is super-heavy, to satisfy the constraint which demands stress on heavy syllable. This determines ranking between 'Weight-to-Stress principle' and 'stress penultimate' constraints. The result is vowel shortening in the penultimate syllables of bi-syllabic words. Similar deletion also targets consonants in tri-syllabic words which results into degemination. Following Optimality Theory (OT) paradigms, this paper provides evidence to support the 'phonological approach' in loanword phonology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article accounts for stress assignment in the loanwords from English among MP Monolingual speakers (ML). The current study attempts to analyse the stress patterns in monomorphemic words in MP loanwords in the light of parameters of Metrical Stress System (MST) (Hayes, 1995). In addition, this paper establishes that loanword adaptation patterns can be easily modelled through a set of well-known metrical constraints within the framework of Optimality theory (OT) (Prince & Smolensky, 1993/2004) and thus proposes a correct constraint ranking hierarchy which reflects that due to less exposure and usage of source language (i.e. English), ML speakers stick to the native stress rules. This paper is particularly important as it is first of its kind. No previous study has focused on the adaptation patterns at prosodic level in MP loanwords from the perspective of ML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study is to investigate how person deixis is used in Urdu and how sentences can be interpreted more effectively with the help of this deictic knowledge. It also unveils different uses of Urdu person deixis along with their features. Urdu textbooks, novels, magazines, poetry books, newspapers, travelogues, etc. were used to collect the data for the present study. The frameworks proposed by Fillmore (1991, 1997), Levinson (1983) and Ingram (1971,1978) were used to analyze the data. The diverse and multidimensional deictic nature of Urdu first person plural pronouns has been revealed by the study. The first person plural in Urdu generally refers to plural. However, a group of people with the inclusion or exclusion of the addressee may also be referred by the first person plural in Urdu. They may refer to an individual in literary writings or to an individual in authority. The choice of second person pronouns in Urdu is purely deictic and they may refer to singular or plural referents depending on the context except ‘tu’ which always points out a singular referent. Urdu second person may jump to third person also. Unlike English, third person deictics in Urdu do not make any gender distinction. Sometimes, the plural third person may refer to a singular referent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]