Implicit Arguments in Ugandan English
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Date
2021-12-30
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
English Studies at NBU 2021
Abstract
In standard British/American English, some transitive verbs, which are ontologically specified for objects,
may be used with the objects not overtly expressed (for example, leave), while other transitive verbs do not
permit this syntactic behavior (for example, vacate). The former have been referred to as verbs that allow
implicit arguments. This study shows that while verbs such as vacate do not ideally allow implicit
arguments in standard British/American English, this is permitted in Ugandan English (a non-native
variety), thereby highlighting structural asymmetries between British/American English and Ugandan
English, owing mainly to substrate influence and analogization. The current study highlights those
structural asymmetries and ultimately uncovers some characteristic features in the structural nativization
process of English in Uganda, thereby contributing to the growing larger discourse meant to fill the gaps
that had characterized World Englishes scholarship, where thorough delineations of Ugandan English have
been virtually absent.
Description
Keywords
implicit arguments,, Ugandan English,, structural nativization,, L2 English,, substrate influence,, analogization
Citation
Isingoma, B. (2021). Implicit Arguments in Ugandan English. English Studies at NBU, 7(2), 147- 166. https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.21.2.2