This article analyses the cognitive bases of semantic variations in theatrical qualities of dialogue in the translation of African drama texts. It offers a practical framework by examining some case studies which show how different notions of semantic variations operate in multilingual African contexts where French and English are in close contact. The distinction arising from these variations is considered to be capital in establishing the cognitive base of potential meaning in a multicultural setting. The paper stresses that community attitude towards switching and shifting are of interest to linguists in general and translators in particular as they enrich communicative pragmatics with cultural patterns alongside socio-cultural behavior. The implication of this systematic analysis and codification of the sign system are of great importance in understanding the language in which a drama text is written and to assess the degree at which language in drama is only one sign in the network of auditive and visual signs that unfold in time and space.
Show abstract
Full Text
