Discourse-Syntax of 'Yang' in Malay (Bahasa Malaysia).

Abstract

This study is an attempt to provide a pilot working grammar of Malay, i.e. a discourse-type grammar and yang is chosen to illustrate its vitality. As a ligature, yang is context-sensitive. But Malay grammars have been mostly context-independent. They are not the proper means to describe yang. A discourse grammar provides a better basis for the description of yang. Furthermore, it may provide the means of developing new areas of research in Malay linguistics which were not possible before. Chapter one is a statement of the state of the art of Malay grammar writing. It attempts to answer two basic questions: "why discourse-syntax?" and "why yang?" The answer to the former is that Malay grammars are mostly context-independent grammars which are not the proper means to describe yang. The answer to the latter is that Malay is a "terse" language, i.e. some nominal and verbal information may not be available within a clause but available only in its context. Thus, a context-independent description of Malay grammar in general and yang in particular may not be an adequate description. In chapter two, a model of a discourse grammar of Malay is proposed. Some affixes are chosen to test its vitality. The grammar provides new insights into the use of affixes. It is found that the occurrences of affixes ME and DI are related to the narrative needs of cohesion, outline and overlay. In chapter three, the discourse grammar is refined to account for the rational occurrences of yang, i.e. why yang occurs as it does in the portions of the narrative. It is found that an occurrence of yang is the outcome of the double-predicate strategy whereby a yang predicate may affect not only a nominal of a clause but also enhance its predicate. Chapter four provides a summary of previous grammars of yang. They are inadequate because they are unable to account for the rational occurrences of yang which a discourse analysis can. It is suggested that Malay discourse grammars are viable as the means toward our underst and ing of Malay literature and thus Malay minds.