Comparative Translational Semiotic Analysis of ‘The River of Fire’ through Systemic Functional Linguistic Approach
Comparative Translational Semiotic Analysis of ‘The River of
Fire’ through Systemic Functional Linguistic Approach
|
Saba Saeed
|
M.Phil. Scholar, Department of
Applied Linguistics, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
|
|
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Asim Mahmood
|
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social
Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
|
Correspondence:
|
Muhammad
Ahmad Hashmi <muhammadahmadhashmi@gmail.com>
|
Lecturer, Department of English,
University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
|
Abstract
This study aimed to: find out semiotic devices in literary
texts in the light of Halliday’s transitivity process; and classify De
Saussure’s two-part model of sign and thereby know that what logical
connections lie between transitivity processes and semiotic devices. Data
comprised of the text of a novel ‘The River of Fire’ by Qurratulain Hyder and
analyzed through qualitative and quantitative methods. UAM software was used
for the analysis of SFL transitivity processes and De Saussure’s model of sign
was employed to analyze the language as a system of the sign. This process was
applied to both versions (i.e. English and Urdu) of the same novel to compare
the results. In this way, comparative technique was also utilized. As a result,
all process types were observed in English and Urdu texts. Material and
relational were the most characteristic processes in English and Urdu texts
respectively. Through the analyses of English and Urdu texts of the novel, the
processes of transitivity were observed involving the semiotic model of the
sign. In addition, the signifier and signified were observed through the
processes of systemic functional linguistics which meant that there existed a
logical connection between semiotic devices and transitivity process.
Keywords: process;
semiotics; signified; signifier; systemic functional grammar; transitivity
1. Introduction
1.1 Systemic Functional Linguistics
Transitivity
is a global property of a clause that transfers the action from an agent
(initiator of the action) to a patient (upon whom action is carried out)
(Hopper & Thompson, 1980). Transitivity is also considered as a verb
property that relates to two questions i.e. (1) whether a verb can accept the
direct object, and (2) how many direct objects a verb can take (Carnie, 2012).
If a verb does not accept any object(s), it is known as intransitive. In
contrast, if a verb accepts the direct object(s), it is known as transitive
(Hopper & Thompson, 1980). A transitive verb is classified as:
monotransitive (if accepts one object); ditransitive (if accepts two objects
i.e. a direct and an indirect) (Kempen & Harbusch, 2004); and tritansitive
(if accepts three objects i.e. a direct, an indirect and a prepositional
phrase) (Kittilä, 2007).
Halliday (1994) holds a different view i.e. it is not that
very important to see whether a verb accepts an object or not. He sees
transitivity as a process that involves three components i.e. process (process
itself), participant (in the process), and circumstance (associated with the
process). Process is the main part of the situation and is realized by a verb,
participant is realized with the help of a nominal group, and circumstance is
realized through adverbials or prepositional phrases (see Ezzina, 2016; Kaur,
2019; Rindu, 2014). Halliday (1994) enumerates six types of process i.e.
material, mental, relational, behavioural, verbal, and existential.
Material
process is related with the process of ‘doing’ that involves an actor and often
a goal. The actor means the one which does the deed and the goal indicates the
directed act (also see Butt, Fahey, Feez &
Spinks, 2012; Ezzina, 2016; Gerot & Wignell, 1944; Kaur, 2019; Rindu, 2014). Mental process is
related with sensing which contains two potential participants i.e. sensor, and
phenomenon. Sensor is the conscious that consists of seeing and thinking
(Neale, 2002). The phenomenon comprises of what is sensed, thought and seen. Mental
process has three main categories i.e. perception, affection, and cognition
(for further details see Derewianka, 2011; Ezzina,
2016; Eggins, 1994; Emilia, 2014; Kaur,
2019; Rindu, 2014). Relational processes belong to the processes of
being. These are found into two types i.e. being, and having (see also Ezzina, 2016; Eggins, 1994; Emilia, 2014; Kaur, 2019; Rindu, 2014). Behavioral processes
belong to physiological and psychological behavior (e.g. breath, dream, smile,
laugh, cry, and cough) that usually have one participant i.e. the behavior (see
Ezzina, 2016; Eggins, 1994; Emilia, 2014;
Kaur, 2019; Rindu, 2014). Verbal
processes are related to the process of saying which is consisted of three
participants i.e. sayer, receiver, and verbiage. The addresser is sayer, the
receiver is the addressee, and content of the message is the verbiage (see Ezzina, 2016; Eggins, 1994; Emilia, 2014; Kaur, 2019; Martin, Matthiesiessen, &
Painter, 1997; Rindu, 2014). Existential
process denotes that something exists or happens. Most commonly it is realized
by there-construction (see Ezzina, 2016; Eggins,
1994; Emilia, 2014; Qiong, 2010; Kaur, 2019;
Rindu, 2014). These processes form the system of transitivity which, according
to Bartley (2018), serves as a means to analyze both in text and isolated
clauses.
1.2 The Sign and Meaning in General Semiotic Theory
Semiotics
is the study of signs and semioticians (e.g. Ceasar, 2013; Chandler, 2007;
Danesi, 1994, 2007; Deely, 2003; Petrilli, 2009;
Short, 2007) are particularly concerned with the theme of
representation. The study of semiotics may assist us to become more conscious
of the refereeing role of signs and of the roles played by ourselves and others
in constructing social reality. It makes us less expected to take reality as
something that is absolutely independent of human interpretation. Through
semiotic perspectives, we can come to understand that information or meaning is
not ‘contained’ in computers or audio-visual media, in the world or in books.
Instead, meaning generates according to the complex interaction of codes or
conventions which we are normally unaware of. Therefore, meaning is not
transmitted to us. Growing knowledge of such codes is both inherently
fascinating and intellectually empowering. We constantly increase our
understanding of certain experience and experimentation, of the visual world
and how we are influenced by it (Tomar, 2015).
1.3 De Saussure’s Semiotic Tradition
In
the study of semiotics, according to De Saussure (2006), the sign is a central
semiotic notion which is recognized as a two-fold entity having the signified
and signifier. The signifier is described as the material vehicle, or the
"physical area of the sign the actual substance of which it is composed
(e.g. sound waves, alphabet characters etc.)” (Danesi, 1994: 24). The signified
is, however, described as the meaning or mental concept which the signifier
refers to.
The
model of the sign (see Fig. 1 and 2) was explained by De Saussure (2006: 65-70) in two parts i.e.:
· Signifier -- spoken word, the written word, etc. -- something that
represents in physical existence.
·
Signified -- the concept it represents in mental concept.
Study on semiotic analysis is not a new trend. In
the past, many researchers conducted their research on semiotic analysis. The
verbal text does this at the denotative level by answering “to the question
i.e. what is it. The text really helps identify purely and simply the
components of the scene and the scene itself; it is just a matter of a denoted
description of the image" (Barthes, 1977: 39). This study aims to conduct
the semiotic analysis with respect to transitivity processes on the literary
text of a novel ‘The River of Fire’ by Qurratulain Hyder. In this regard,
following questions are focused:
2) How logical connections are developed between semiotic
devices and transitivity processes in English and Urdu texts of ‘The River of
Fire’?
2. Materials and Methods
This
research is a comparative translational semiotic analysis of ‘The River of
Fire’, a novel by Qurratulain Hyder, through systemic functional linguistics’
(SFL) approach that deems the languages as a social semiotic system (see
Halliday, 2004, 2015). This research is also qualitative and quantitative in
nature and it employs SFL approach to: explore Halliday’s (1994) transitivity
processes i.e. material, mental, verbal, relational, behavioral, and
existential; and apply the same procedure on the Urdu text of the same novel to
investigate transitivity processes in both languages i.e. English and Urdu
applying De Saussure’s (2006) two-part models of the sign. Analytic structure,
employed in the study, is shown in Fig. 3.
UAM
software was used to analyze the SFL transitivity system proposed by Halliday
(1994). UAM Corpus Tool 3.3 is annotating software that can automatically
annotate the grammatical structures and Halliday’s (1994) transitivity
processes in a text. In addition, it allows the manual annotation of linguistic
features created on various schemes. For this study, first of all, a novel (The
River of Fire) was selected and converted into the text form. After that text
files were uploaded in UAM software. Data consisted of three files. Each file
had 60 pages. The research was conducted on both English and Urdu versions of
the same novel i.e. ‘The River of Fire’. In this regard, 180 pages (i.e. 90
English and 90 Urdu) were considered which helped conduct a comparative
analysis.
3. Results
Table
1: Percentage of Process Types of Transitivity Analysis
Process
|
Frequency
|
Percentage (%)
|
Material
|
1243
|
37.74
|
Mental
|
440
|
13.36
|
Behavioral
|
95
|
2.88
|
Verbal
|
418
|
12.69
|
Existential
|
40
|
1.21
|
Relational
|
1056
|
32.06
|
Total
|
3293
|
100
|
3.1
Transitivity Processes
3.1.1
Material Process
As
shown in the table 1 and fig. 4, material process is presented in the highest
frequency. It shows that the majority of the process in the text is concerned
with ‘doing’, ‘happening’ or ‘action’. Examples of the material processes found
in the novel are given below:
Example 1:
He
|
Looked up
|
at the sky
|
collected
|
Actor
|
Process(material) doing
|
circumstances
|
Process (material) doing
|
Example 2:
His staff and cloth bag and
|
Resumed
|
his journey
|
goal
|
process(material) doing
|
goal
|
Gautam
|
made
|
A boat
|
Out of a barged leaf
|
Actor
|
Process (material) doing
|
Goal
|
Circumstance
|
Example 3:
They
|
formed
|
A mender
|
Actor
|
Process material(happening)
|
Goal
|
In
example 1, the first clause indicates the material process. It has three
material processes that can be classified as transitive i.e. ‘looked up’,
‘collected’, and ‘resumed in it’. ‘He’ functions as an actor in this clause.
The phrasal verb ‘looked up’ refers to the activity don by the subject ‘he’
that is usually called as an actor in material process, ‘his staff’ and ‘cloth
bag’ and, ‘his journey’ are the goals and ‘at the sky’ is the circumstance. In
example 2, made is a material process. It informs about the doing of an actor.
‘A boat’ is a goal. Goal is a thing that suffers or undergoes the process. In
example 3, ‘they’ is an actor and ‘formed’ is a material process. It is
intransitive that represents a happening. ‘A mender’ is a goal which undergoes
the process.
3.1.2
Relational Process
Relational
Process is the second highest process found in this novel. Examples of the relational processes found in
the novel are given below:
Example 4:
Hi
|
My name
|
is
|
Professor Bannerjee
|
|
Carrier
|
Relational
|
Attribute
|
Example 5:
Champa
|
has
|
a red sarhi
|
Carrier
|
Relational
|
Attribute (circumstance)
|
‘My name’
in example 4 and ‘Champa’ in example 5 are carriers that represnt relational
process. ‘Professor Bannerjee’, in example 4, and ‘red sarhi’, in example 5,
function as attributive participants as well as circumstance. Relational
process involves states of being and having which establish an identity. In
this way, it is called identifying process and the process that assigns a
quality and plays as an attributive, is called attributing processes.
3.1.3 Mental Process
The
proportion of mental process occurs as the third highest in frequency (see
table 1 and fig. 4) found in this novel. It refers to the process of
perception, cognition and affection (e.g. thinking, knowing, liking, wanting,
and perceiving). It has senser and
phenomenon as the participants. Some of the observations of the mental
processes are given below:
Example 6:
He
|
noticed
|
another red beerbahuti
|
on the lush green grass
|
Senser
|
Process(mental)
|
Phenomenon
|
Circumstance
|
Example 7:
Gautam
|
does not remember
|
about Taxila
|
Senser
|
Cognition
|
Phenomenon
|
Example 8:
I
|
can’t hear
|
you
|
Senser
|
Perception
|
Phenomenon
|
Example 9:
I
|
like
|
to buy some perfumes
|
Senser
|
Affection
|
Phenomenon
|
Examples
6, 7, 8 and 9 show that mental process, in the flow of events, is taking place
in our own consciousness. In clause structure, a ‘mental’ clause usually has
(and always can have) both senser and phenomenon that are present in these
examples. The participant who plays the role of a senser is ‘Gautam’, and ‘I’
what is being sensed here is about ‘Taxila’, ‘you’, and ‘to buy some perfumes’
are called phenomenon. The word ‘know’
refers to cognition of the mental process while ‘does not remember’ refers to
perception of the mental process. The word ‘can’t hear’ also refers to
perception and last the word ‘like’ refers to affection of the mental process.
3.1.4
Verbal Process
Verbal
process is related to process of ‘saying’. It usually has a ‘sayer’ as the main
participant. But, many clauses contain implicit sayers. The presence of verbal
process has low frequency as compared to material, relational, and mental
processes. Verbal process, in fact, is a process of construing something said
by its participants. Examples of the verbal process found in the novel are:
Example 10:
He
|
repeated
|
the formal benediction
|
Sayer
|
Process(verbal)
|
Verbiage
|
Example 11:
The doe-eyed one
|
noted
|
the bitterness in her companion’s
voice
|
Sayer
|
Process(verbal)
|
Verbiage
|
Example 12:
My father
|
says
|
there is political trouble brewing
in Pataliputra
|
Sayer
|
Process(verbal)
|
Verbiage
|
In
all of the three examples (i.e. 10, 11 and 12), the words ‘repeated’, ‘noted’
and ‘says’ are verbal processes. Verbal process, actually, is the activity of
talking that usually happens during the process of saying. ‘He’, ‘the doe-eyed
one’ and ‘my father’ are the participants that function as sayers. The
remaining part of clauses, in examples 10, 11 and 12, are verbiage that are
‘the formal benediction’, ‘the bitterness in her companion’s voice’, ‘there is
political trouble brewing in Pataliputra’. Verbiage represents what the sayer
has said but instead of representing it as a quotation of what the actual words
has been used (Quoted) or the proposition has been expressed in those words
(Reported), and related to what is said by classifying that in terms of its character as an expression.
3.1.5
Existential Process
Existential
Process is a process of ‘existing’. The proportion of existential process (as
shown in table 1 and fig 4), has been observed in fourth highest frequency.
This process shows that actions as enclosed as they are taking place within the
settings which are stated simply as existing. Examples are given below:
Example 13:
There
|
Was
|
a little house
|
|
Existential
|
Existent
|
Example 14:
There
|
had been
|
some Hinduism motive
|
|
Existential
|
Existent
|
The
clauses of sentences (see examples 13 and 14) are considered as existential
process. Halliday and Matthiessen (2004: 257) argue that the word ‘there’ in such clauses is neither
participant nor a circumstance (because it does not have any representative
occupation in the transitivity structure of a clause), but it helps indicate
the feature of existence. However, it is not interpersonally needed to be a
subject. This type of a subject
is not a real subject. Rather, it is a subject that we call ‘dummy subject’. The real subject in
existential process performs semantic function of the
existent.
3.1.6
Behavioural Process
Behavioral
process is a process of physiological and psychological behavior. It has a
‘behaver’ and a ‘behavioral’ as participants. The behavioral process occurs
four times in the novel but it has only one behaver as the participant. The
less frequent process is behavioural process i.e. it has the lowest frequency
of all the process types (see table 1 and fig 4).
Example 15:
A peacock
|
danced
|
under a flaming dhak
|
Behaver
|
Behavioral(physiological)
|
Circumstance
|
Example 16:
The bride
|
was crying
|
in the room
|
Behaver
|
Behavioral(psychological
|
Circumstance
|
Example 17:
They
|
Laugh
|
together
|
Behaver
|
Behavioral (physiological)
|
Circumstance
|
Examples
15, 16 and 17 show that, the clauses of the behaviuoral process are related
with the intransitive verb that does not take an object. Thus, there is only a
single participant containing the process called ‘behaver’. As we know,
behavioural process is in part about the action but it this action has to be
experienced by a conscious being. However, in selected clauses (see examples
15, 16 and 17) there is no such clear participant as revealed as a ‘behaver’.
But, we indirectly assume that the conscious being ‘me’ is invited by ‘she’
to dance.
3.2
Semiotics Analysis
Semiotics is frequently used in the analyses of texts, while it is dependent
on the mode of textual analysis. Here it would be noted that a ‘text’ can occur
in any medium and may be verbal, non-verbal, or both. A text is a collection of
signs e.g. words, images, sounds or gestures understood with reference to the
conventions related with a genre and in a specific medium of communication. The
signifier and signified at the same time as casually simple, form an essential
element of semiotics. As shown in the table 1,
material processes are frequently used as a signifier. A signifier, without
signified, takes no meaning, and the signified changes with context and person.
A signifier, a part of language, is a material demonstration of a linguistic
sign. In psychoanalysis, it is a phonemic order of the discourse that
intervenes in the conscious and unconscious processes to define the subject
involved in the discourse. A signified is the notion or concept related with a
signifier, which together establish the linguistic sign. In this analysis a
text is the collection of signs through words. This work explores the
application of Halliday’s (1994) theory of transitivity through semiotic
analysis. In this analysis the signifier
is frequently used rather than signified. It shows that actions and physical
activities are involved in this novel. Examples are given below:
Example 18:
he
|
looked up
|
at the sky
|
collected
|
his staff and cloth bag and
|
resumed
|
his journey
|
Actor
|
Process (material)
Signifier
|
circumstances
|
Process (material)
Signifier
|
Goal
|
Process
(material)Signifier
|
Goal
|
The
words ‘looked up’ ‘collected’ and ‘resumed’, in example 18, refer to the
signifier of the sign. These processes clarify that sign is not only a sound
image but also a concept. The signifier is interpreted as the material form
such as something that can be seen, touched, heard, smelled, and tested.
Example 19:
The young woman
|
was
|
scared
|
Goal
|
Relational process
|
Process(Mental)
Signified
|
Example 20:
I
|
think
|
She will
|
Protect
|
you
|
I
|
know
her.
|
Senser
|
Process(Mental)
Signified
|
Goal
|
Process(material)
Signified
|
Goal
|
Senser
|
Process(mental)
Signified
|
The
words ‘scared’, ‘think’, and ‘know her’, in examples 19 and 20, are related to
the mental process. The section of mental processes in the text indicates that
cognition is concerned more than the other kind of mental process. The
signified acts as the mental concept. The thing signified is created in the
perceiver and is inside them. The meaning of a sign needs both the signifier
and the signified as formed by an interpreter. A signifier without a signified
is ‘sound’. A signified without
a signifier is nothing. The signifier imitates the signified i.e. the signifier
generates the signified in
terms of the meaning it initiates for us. See example 21.
Example 21:
At night
|
he
|
went to the river bank to
|
sleep
|
on the cool sand
|
Circumstance
|
Actor
|
Goal
|
Process(behavioral)
Signifier
|
Circumstance
|
In
this example (21) the ‘sleep’ refers to the behavioral process. Behavioral
process is related to the part of the action but it is the action that has to
be qualified by a conscious being. Sleep is a physical action and physical
action is also related to the signifier. This is important, because signs are
understood and encoded in the context. The word ‘sleep’ shows the relationship
between signifier and signified is made meaningful in the context. This
part starts through looking at the signs in separation, but as you become more
assured with semiotics, you will start to look at signs as the part of a sign system.
3.3 Process Types of Urdu Text
The
distribution of the process types of transitivity analysis (i.e. relational,
material, verbal, mental, existential, and behavioural) as characterized in
Urdu text of the novel can be seen in the Table 2 and Fig. 6.
Table 2:
Percentage of Process Types of Transitivity Analysis in Urdu Text
Process
|
Frequency
|
Percentage
(%)
|
Material
|
147
|
28.88
|
Mental
|
107
|
21.02
|
Behavioral
|
35
|
6.87
|
Verbal
|
25
|
4.91
|
Existential
|
23
|
4.51
|
Relational
|
172
|
33.79
|
Total
|
509
|
100%
|
This
analysis shows that, in Urdu text, the relational process has highest frequency
(see Table 2 and Fig. 6) as found in the Urdu text of the novel. See examples
below:
Example 22:
اس
کا باپ بہت دولت مندآدمی تھا ۔
تھا
|
بہت دولت مندآدمی
|
اس کا باپ
|
Process: relational
|
attribute
|
Carrier
|
Relational
processes (see example 22) involve states of being and having. They can be
classified according to whether they are being used to identify something or to
assign a quality to something. Process, which establishes an identity, is
called identifying process and the process which assigns a quality and
functions as an attributive is called attributing process. The second highest
frequency is of material process (see table 2 and fig. 6). This observation
shows that the majority of the processes in the text are processes of doing,
happening or action. Examples of the material process as found in Urdu text are
given below:
Example 23:
گرہست
کی بیوی سانولی دبلی سی لڑکی جس نے اسے آٹا لا کر دیا تھا ۔
لا کر دیا تھا
|
آٹا
|
جس نےاسے
|
سانولی دبلی سی لڑکی
|
گرہست کی بیوی
|
Process: material
|
Goal
|
Recipient
|
Circumstance: role
|
Actor
|
Example
23 reflects the material process. In this example گرہست
کی بیوی
is an actor which is a material
process. It appears to be intransitive for representing happening, i.e. آٹا is a goal which undergoes the process. The
proportion of mental processes happens to be the third highest process as found
in Urdu text of the novel (see table 2 and fig. 6). It refers to the process of perception, cognition
and affection (e.g. thinking, knowing, liking, wanting, and perceiving). It has senser and phenomenon as the
participants. Some examples of the mental processes are
below:
Example 24:
گوتم
نے آنکھیں کھول کراسےدیکھا ۔
اسےدیکھا
|
آنکھیں کھول کر
|
گوتم نے
|
Process: mental
|
Phenomenon
|
Senser
|
Example
24 shows the mental process that construes a quantum of change in the flow of
events taking place in our own consciousness. In clause structure, a ‘mental’
clause typically has (and always can have) both senser and phenomenon as shown
in example 24. The participant who has a role of the senser is Gautam. The
behavioural process is a process of physiological and psychological behavior.
It has behaver and behavioural as participants. The behavioural process occurs
four times in the text but it only has one behaver as the participant. The less
frequent process is the behavioural process and it has the lowest frequency of
occurrence of all the process types (see table 2 and fig. 2).
Example 25:
اس
کی تیو ری پر بل آگے ۔
بل آگے
|
اس کی تیو ری پر
|
Process: behavioral
|
Behaver
|
Verbal
process occurs 25 times which refers to the process of construing something
(i.e. relationships of description) said by its participant. The presence of
verbal process has low frequency as compared to material, relational, mental,
and behavioural processes (see table 2 and fig. 6).
جہانگیر
پارک میں نئے وزیراعظم کا ملت سے خطاب ہے
خطاب ہے
|
ملت سے
|
جہانگیر پارک میں
|
|
Process: Verbal
|
Verbiage
|
Sayer
|
Circumstance
|
The
example 26 shows that ملت سے is a verbiage and نئے
وزیراعظم کا is a
sayer. Verbal process is the activity of talking usually happens during the
process of saying. The existential process is a process of existing. The
proportion of existential process is very low in frequency (i.e. 23) as shown
in the table 2 and fig. 2. This process indicates that actions as are framed as
they are taking place within such settings as are asserted simply as existing.
Example 27:
بر
آمدے کے باہر گھپ اندھیرا تھا ۔
تھا
|
گھپ اندھیرا
|
بر آمدے کے باہر
|
Process: existential
|
Existent
|
Circumstance
|
In
this study, the text served as a collection of signs through words and helped
explore the application of Halliday’s (1994) theory of transitivity through
semiotic analysis. The analysis showed that there was no big difference between
English and Urdu texts as the verbs, in both English and Urdu versions, created
the sense of signifier and signified. The results of the study (see tables 1
and 2) have proved that transitivity system can analyze the semiotics devices
which depend on verbs. Urdu text analysis shows that signifier has as highest
frequency as does the English text have. Moreover, actions and physical
activities are observed in high frequency in the novel.
Example 28:
دروازے
کی چوکھٹ پر پہاڑی مینا کا پنجرہ لٹک رہا تھا ۔
پہاڑی مینا کا پنجرہ
|
دروازے کی چوکھٹ پر
|
|
Process: material
|
Actor
|
Circumstance
|
The
word, لٹک رہا
تھا(see example 28) refers to
the signifier of the sign. This process clarifies that sign is not only a sound
image but also a concept. The signifier is construed as
the material form such as something that can be seen, touched, heard, smelled
and tested.
Example 29:
گوتم
نے اپنےنئےساتھی کو غور سے دیکھا ۔
غور سے دیکھا
|
اپنےنئےساتھی کو
|
گوتم نے
|
Process: mental
|
Phenomenon
|
Senser
|
The
word غور سے دیکھا (in example 29) is a mental process but semiotically it is a
physically action done by Gautam. The section of mental processes in the text
indicates that cognition is concerned more than the other kinds of mental
process.
Example 30:
اس
کا ذہین اور خوبصورت چہرہ گوتم کو مانوسں سا کرگیا ۔
مانوسں سا کرگیا
|
گوتم کو
|
اس کا ذہین اور خوبصورت چہرہ
|
Process: mental
|
Senser
|
Phenomenon
|
The word, مانوسں سا
کرگیا, (see
example 30) is related to the mental process. It refers to the conception of
the mind. The section of mental processes in the text indicates that
cognition is concerned more than the other kinds of mental process. The
signified functions as the mental concept. The thing signified is created in
the perceiver and is inside to them. The meaning of a sign needs both the
signifier and the signified as formed by an interpreter.
Example
31:
اس کی تیو ری پر بل آگے ۔
اس کی تیو ری پر
|
|
Process: behavioral
|
Behaver
|
The
word بل آگے (in example 31) refers to the behavioural process. Behavioural
process is in part about the action. The signifier is construed as the material
form such as something that can be done through seen, touched, heard, smelled,
and tested.
4. Conclusion
This
study depends on the structure of sentences that is represented through the
transitivity processes (i.e. types of verbs). The results reveal that all
process types are present in English and Urdu texts of the novel ‘The River of
Fire’. The most characterized process type in the English text is material.
Whereas, the most categorized process type in the Urdu text is relational
process. In this way, material and relational processes are the most frequent
process in English and Urdu texts respectively. So far as the classification of
De Saussure’s “dyadic” two-part model of sign, signifier, and signified is
concerned, the results show the concept symbolizes through the transitivity
processes. Through the analyses of English and Urdu texts of the novel, the
processes of transitivity are observed involving the semiotic model of the
sign. In addition, the signifier and signified have been observed through the
processes of systemic functional linguistics which means that there exists a
logical connection between semiotic devices and transitivity process. Moreover,
the signifier is observed to be most frequent than the signified in English and
Urdu texts.
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