VIP strategy References to famous, folkloric figures

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6.4 Other influences on the participant reference system

6.4.1 VIP strategy

Overlaid on the three types of participant referring expressions explained above is hierarchy of participants—main versus minor participants. Within certain episodes local or for an entire text global there may be a ‘Very Important Participant’ VIP, the most conceptually central participant as reflected in formal patterns of reference for a given portion of text. Dooley and Levinsohn posit that if and when a particular referents isare specially coded, then this can be explained with a VIP strategy 2001:119. Looking at the distribution of references used for each of the participants, the various referring expressions can be used for any and every participant, given the appropriate environment. For example, once a topic is established, subsequent clauses use a zero in the subject slot to refer to the given topic, regardless of whether it is a minor or major participant. As a general rule, the less coding a referring expression has, the more status a participant has. This is discussed further in Chapters 7 and 8.

6.4.2 References to famous, folkloric figures

References to famous, folkloric figures bring another dimension to participant reference. According to Prince’s taxonomy 1981:237, these participants would fit the Unused category. They have instant name recognition for a Bunong audience. Additionally, they garner more respect than an ordinary person. The Rabbit is one of these well-known figures who appears in many Bunong folk tales. In some stories he is a 89 participant among other animals that are given anthropomorphic characteristics; in other stories, he is a participant alongside other humans. Often his role is to help peopleanimals out of a difficult situation or to arbitrate a conflicting situation that usually involves another personanimal. Since he is such an integral personage in Bunong folklore, initial references to him are usually ‘Uncle Rabbit’ and thereafter, as the same or just ‘Rabbit’. This manner of reference is similar to using an honorific uncle and a proper name. In the Cow story, the first mention of the rabbit is ‘Uncle Rabbit’. Thereafter, the narrator refers to him as ‘Rabbit’. The kinship term gives a dimension of familiarity, respect, and intimacy Mulkern 1996:246, as well as identifying Rabbit as familiar on the Givenness Hierarchy Gundel et al. 1993. This enables the listener to understand that the cow owner did not meet up with just any rabbit; rather, he is meeting up with the Uncle Rabbit. Other common, easily identifiable figures in Bunong folklore whose identities are evoked by the use of their proper names are the uncles in the Fish story. Often a kinship term is attached to their name because of their renown. These folkloric characters may exhibit superhuman qualities, such as being able to turn themselves into an animal and back into a human form, go down to the underworld, cause material blessing for an individual, etc. The male folkloric figures are: Uncles Nhot, N’euy, Nhuk, and Nhak and possibly others; the females are Jii-But and Jii-Bom and possibly others. 90

Chapter 7 Sequential Default and VIP Strategy