The Use of Presuppositions in the Codification of Meaning in Kiembu Popular Songs

Abstract

Presuppositions are present in all human languages. They are assumptions indirectly suggested by speakers and theiraudience required for the correct interpretation of utterances. This research is a pragmatic study on presuppositions in Kiembu popular songs. It aimed at analyzing the presuppositions in the codification of meaning in Kiembu popular songs guided by Yule's presupposition theory. Using purposive sampling, the researcher sampled all songs from Kiembu popular singers and five songs with presuppositions were selected for the study. The songs were transcribed and then translated into English using free translation. One hundred presuppositions were analyzed using Yule's presupposition theory and the frequencies and percentages of the presuppositions were tabulated. The researcher found out that in Kiembu popular songs, the existential presuppositions are the most common while the structural presuppositions are the second most used. The study is a source of reference to the scholars who may have interest in studying Kiembu songs. It also provides insights to scholars who may be interested in analyzing the presuppositions and contributes to the field of pragmatics in linguistics.