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.