Demonstratives and word order: Aspects of discourse reference in Xhosa narrative

Abstract

In this article two areas are examined relating to discourse reference in Xhosa oral narrative: demonstrative reference and word order. It is argued that demonstrative reference serves to encode thematic rather than spatial proximity of discourse entities. This indicates that the proximate demonstrative may, in certain contexts at least, be losing its deictic significance and becoming a thematic marker. As far as word order is concerned VS (Verb Subject) word order appears to be controlled by a principle of event flow while SV (Subject Verb) order tends to occur at breaks of event continuity. It is argued that a number of complex factors may influence word order in Xhosa discourse more generally, and that it is not possible to reduce word order variation to a single principle.