Speech levels, social predicates and pragmatic structure in Balinese: A lexical approach

Abstract

This paper will account for the interaction between syntax and semantics/ pragmatics in the speech styles of Balinese. The analysis makes use of an explicit representation that accounts for the co-occurrence restrictions on linguistic expressions which are imposed by social information associated with the speech-level system. It is proposed that social information be treated in terms of social predicates and modelled using LFG-style parallel structures. The social predicates are contained in what is called pragmatic-structure (prag-str). It is demonstrated that this approach can account for the plain as well as the (dis)honouring use of linguistic forms in Balinese.