Pragmatic Features of Interrogative Sentences in the Uzbek

Language

A. K. Khamidov

and S. J. Saidmuradova

Termiz State Pedagogical Institute, Termiz, Uzbekistan

Keywords: Pragmatics, Pragmalinguistics, Interrogative Sentences, Speech, Intention.

Abstract: In this article, we have analysed linguistic factors alone are not enough for the speech realization of language

units and the realization of the speech goal. In most cases, pragmatic factors interact with grammatical and

lexical means. Pragmatic factors are of great importance in the realization of most of the thoughts expressed

by interrogative sentences, in bringing the intended goal of the speaker to the listener. This linguistic

phenomenon is observed both in ordinary interrogative sentences and in rhetorical interrogative sentences.

1 INTRODUCTION

For the speech to realize language units and the

speech objective, linguistic variables alone are

insufficient. Most of the time, grammatical and

lexical tools interact with pragmatic aspects. When

most ideas stated by interrogative phrases are

realized, pragmatic variables play a crucial role in

conveying the speaker's intended meaning to the

listener. Both common interrogative phrases and

rhetorical interrogative sentences exhibit this

language phenomenon.

Until the middle of the last century, the term

pragmatics was used in various fields of science,

including sociology, psychology, philosophy, and

semiotics. As a result, the scope covered by this term

became very wide and multifaceted. Therefore, when

examining the issue of the emergence and

development of pragmatics specific to linguistics, it

is necessary to determine its relation to linguistics and

the scope of its tasks. In this regard, the following

comments of Y. G. Kotorova are relevant: "The

relationship between pragmatics and linguistics can

be interpreted in three ways: 1) pragmatics is a

separate field closely related to linguistics; 2)

pragmatics is a part of linguistics; 3) pragmatics is a

phenomenon related to a specific part of linguistics"

(

Kotorova, E. G, 2019

). The term pragmatics "was used

even before Socrates, and later philosophers such as

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6741-2227

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4502-3295

J. Locke and E. Kant adopted it from Aristotle"

(

Safarov, Sh. (2008

). Pragmatics in science was formed

in the 70s of the 19th century in America, and Ch.

Peirce and Ch. Morris contributed to its introduction

into science.

2 RESULTS

Pragmatics is defined in the "National Encyclopedia

of Uzbekistan" as follows: "Pragmatics is manifested

through the speech process, which encompasses the

social activity of a person, through a specific

communication situation. Linguistic pragmatics does

not have a clear form or appearance; its scope

includes many issues related to the speaking subject,

the addressee, and their communication-intervention

situation" (

Uzbekistan National Encyclopedia., 2004

Thus, pragmatics was formed as a new practical

branch of linguistics (

Hakimov, M.,2001

), which

studies the problems of language related to the speech

process, speech situation, and the communicative

intention of speech participants. In this regard, it is

appropriate to cite the following comments of M.

Ernazarova, who compared linguistic pragmatics and

pragmalinguistics and distinguished their common

and different aspects: "The object of study of any

paradigm of linguistics, whether it is traditional or

modern, is language. As long as pragmatic linguistics

Khamidov, A. and Saidmuradova, S.

Pragmatic Features of Interrogative Sentences in the Uzbek Language.

DOI: 10.5220/0012932100003882

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR-2 2023), pages 887-890

ISBN: 978-989-758-723-8

887

or linguistic pragmatics is considered as a branch of

linguistics, its object of study should be sought in a

system consisting of linguistic unity and structure"

(

Ernazarova, M.,2018).

It is understood that pragmatics is directly related

to the communication process. Some features of the

communication system have been studied in Uzbek

linguistics. In particular, S. Mominov studied the

social characteristics of communication behavior,

which is a component of the communication system

or one of its edges (

Mominov, S.,2000). Professors Sh.

Safarov and G. Toirova studied that this system is

momentary, i.e. instantaneous, and researched some

of its elements (

Safarov, Sh.,2008). In general, Sh.

Safarov's following comments about the

communication system and the role of pragmatics in

it are relevant: "... if we exclude the effect of speech

act from the scope of pragmalinguistic analysis, then

don't we make the communication system blunt?!

Communication is done in order to influence the

speaker, to encourage him to act in response! The

purpose of speech communication is two-level, i.e.

information exchange and communicative pragmatic

purpose are realized in the speech act. In the first, the

purpose of the speaker is to convey or receive

information" (

Safarov, Sh.,2008).

Since pragmatics is directly related to the

communication system, the place of interrogative

sentences among the types of speech according to the

purpose of expression is very important in the

emergence of speech intention. After all, with the

help of interrogative sentences, the speaker not only

receives the information he is interested in from the

listener but also can express goals such as objections,

suggestions, and commands in cooperation with non-

linguistic factors. Interrogative sentences are defined

in textbooks and manuals as follows: "An

interrogative sentence expressing an appeal to know

something unknown" (

Khojiev, A., 2001). In this

definition, it can be understood that interrogative

sentences are included in the speech in order to obtain

new information of interest to the speaker from the

listener. In fact, even in such places, non-linguistic

tools cooperate with linguistic tools. That is, the

speaker chooses words suitable for the speech

situation and the age, gender, and mental state of the

listener to form an interrogative sentence. The

following points can be made about the further

division of interrogative sentences into types:

"According to their main feature (task), interrogative

sentences are divided into two types: 1) interrogative

sentences that require an answer or pure so more

words; 2) interrogative sentences or rhetorical

interrogatives that do not require an answer" [8:104].

In fact, these two types of interrogative sentences are

used in two different speech situations. Below, we

will try to analyse the role of non-linguistic

(pragmatic) tools in expressing the lexical-

grammatical nature of interrogative sentences, in

realizing the function of speech intention. For

example, in the following interrogative sentences

used in the story "The Thief" by Abdulla Qahhor, the

main goal is not to get an answer from the listener on

the matter of interest to the speaker, of course:

Yo‘qolmasdan ilgari bormidi? Qanaqa ho‘kiz edi?

(Did it exist before it disappeared? What kind of ox

was it?)

Ola ho‘kiz... (particoloured ox..)

Yaxshi ho‘kizmidi yo yomon ho‘kizmidi? Was it

a good ox or a bad one?

Qo‘sh mahali... (During plowing)

Yaxshi ho‘kiz birov yetaklasa, keta beradimi?

(Will a good ox follow if someone leads it?

Bisotimda hech narsa yo‘q... (Nothing I had

except it)

O‘zi qaytib kelmasmikan?.. Birov olib ketsa,

qaytib kela ber, deb qo‘yilmagan ekan-da! Nega

yig‘lanadi? A? Yig‘lanmasin! (Won't you come back

by yourself?... Even though it wasn't written that if

someone takes you, come back! Why are you crying?

Don't cry!)

If the reader who is not familiar with the text of

the story is presented with the above-mentioned

passage for reading, the questioning of Grandfather

Kain gives the impression that the person asking him

does not have the ability to deal. But for the reader

who is aware of the worldview of the Uzbek people

at the time the story was written, the attitude of

officials and ordinary people, "Did it exist before it

disappeared?", "Was it a good ox or a bad ox?", "A

good ox is led by someone." , will he go?", "I won't

come back by myself?", "Why is he crying?" such

questions are surprising and not unusual. It should be

considered normal for that time that the officials

consider themselves superior to the common people

and talk with them openly. When asking these

questions, Amin is not expecting an answer to any of

them and is not interested in the answers given. It is

only intended to pretend that he is seriously interested

in the matter and thereby extort something as a bribe

from Grandfather Kain. The above-mentioned

pragmatic factors are leading in the interrogative

sentences that express questions without linguistic

purpose. It is understood that in some types of

interrogative sentences, non-linguistic factors may be

more important for speech intention than linguistic

factors.

PAMIR-2 2023 - The Second Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies- | PAMIR

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The influence of pragmatic factors can also be felt

in the grammatical means used in the sentence. For

example, in the last interrogative sentence in the

above-mentioned passage, Amin Kabul, embodied as

an official in the text of the story, should ask a

question in the form of an address to Grandpa. It is

known that the meaning of respect can be expressed

through the Uzbek person-number forms, depending

on the speech situation: "The person-number forms of

the verb are not used only in their meanings, but

instead can be used in other meanings... The plural

form of the second person, while expressing the

meaning of referring to several persons, is used for

the unity of the second person and expresses the

meaning of respect or contempt for a person" [9:350].

Based on his social status, Amin cannot appreciate

Grandfather Kain, but he cannot appreciate the great

age difference. Therefore, the ingenious creator

Abdulla Qahhor finds an unexpected solution to the

problem. Amin said to Grandfather Qabul, "Why is

he crying?" addressed in the form The intended

purpose of this interrogative sentence comes out with

the help of the inappropriate use of the passive

participle. In this interrogative sentence, I am sure

that Grandfather Kain did not believe him or not. As

a result, the speech goal of the speaker was revealed

thanks to the introduction of the "extra" grammatical

form and the cooperation of pragmatic factors.

3 DISCUSSION

In general, textbooks and manuals provide

information about the speech realization of

interrogative sentences under the influence of

pragmatic factors. This is especially evident in

rhetorical interrogative sentences. For example, "a

rhetorical question does not require an answer, the

answer is hidden in itself and is known to everyone.

A rhetorical interrogative sentence can express the

following meanings: 1) affirmation: What is missing

in this country?; 2) negation: Do you go to the cure

for the calamity and sorrow that arose from yourself?;

3) surprise: What is this?!; 4) anxiety: Won't you

leave me?; 5) anger: What is the goal, the goal?; 6)

suspicion: Maybe the cotton was not opened well?; 7)

strong excitement: Shall we crush to Tokay, father?

[10:218]. In all of the cited examples, the inevitability

of cooperation of pragmatic factors is felt. Because

relations such as denial, anxiety, suspicion, anger, and

strong excitement cannot arise without the

cooperation of non-verbal factors. Pragmatic factors

such as a specific speech situation and the appropriate

mood of the dialogue participants are required for the

realization of these relations.

Pure interrogative sentences can also be mixed

with pragmatic factors depending on the speech

situation. For example, the hero of Abdulla Qahhor's

story "The Patient" asks Abduganiboy Sotiboldi the

following questions when he comes to ask for a loan

to treat his wife:

"Did you bring anything to Devonai

Bahavuddin?" What about Gavsulazam?

These interrogative sentences are, in fact, pure

interrogative sentences that require an answer from

the listener. But in this text, the interrogative sentence

is used to describe the artistic image of Abduganiboy,

who is depicted as a stingy, heretical rich man. In

order not to pay a hard-working worker who works

for a small child, the purpose of asking whether he

has conducted activities that are useless for the

patient, but dry the poor man's lips, is to pretend to

feel sorry for the patient, to distract Sotiboldi from the

main goal (rich receiving money) was a distraction.

Without the cooperation of pragmatic tools, the

creator would not have achieved the above speech

intention with the help of interrogative sentences

alone.

It is understood that the question is used not only

for the purpose of obtaining new information from the

listener in the speech process. Interrogative sentences

also serve the highest purpose of language use - "to

clearly and fluently convey one's thoughts to the

listener in oral or written form." In other words, by

means of interrogative sentences, the speaker not only

receives information from the listener, but also

conveys new information to him. For example, "What

time is it?" through an interrogative sentence, at first

glance, it seems that only the speaker is interested in

what time it is at the same time. At the same time, this

interrogative sentence contains additional

information that the time is important for the speaker

(the person asking the question) and that the listener

has the opportunity to know what time it is. This

additional information is expressed using pragmatic

factors.

4 CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the integration of pragmatic factors in

the use of interrogative sentences highlights the

complexity and depth of human communication. As

the article elucidates, merely relying on grammatical

and lexical tools is insufficient for fully realizing the

speaker's intent. Pragmatic aspects, which involve

understanding the context, the relationship between

Pragmatic Features of Interrogative Sentences in the Uzbek Language

889

interlocutors, and the specific communication

situation, play a crucial role. This is particularly

evident in the use of rhetorical interrogatives, where

the primary goal is not to obtain information but to

express a range of emotions and intentions, such as

affirmation, negation, surprise, or sarcasm.

Moreover, the study of pragmatics within

linguistics, as exemplified by the works of various

scholars and the provided examples, underscores its

significance in understanding the dynamics of speech

acts. Interrogative sentences, influenced by non-

linguistic factors such as social context and speaker-

listener relationships, demonstrate the intricate ways

in which language operates beyond mere words. This

comprehensive approach to analysing speech

intention through pragmatics not only enriches our

understanding of language use but also emphasizes

the essential role of context in effective

communication.

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