Pronunciation: Intonation of Conversation Sustainers Ex. 1 –3

130 Conversation Continuance

11.3 Culture

Kuna people love to hear all the details of a trip. The recounting of a trip requires certain compulsory ―ingredients.‖ First, you must tell the situation which gave rise to the trip. This is followed by mentioning one by one each person of any consequence who accompanied you. After the people are listed, the number of people in the party including the unnamed people, usually children is stated. You must then refer to the point of origin of the trip and the time of day that you departed on your journey. Not everyone owns a watch and consequently a general, rather than a specific time is adequate. The weather and trail conditions are not usually mentioned. Most of the trails radiating out from the village have certain recognized ―checkpoints.‖ It is necessary to tell the approximate time you arrived at and departed from each of these points. It is also necessary to state what, if any, refreshments you had at the ―checkpoint.‖ Rivers of any size are always considered checkpoints. The river crossing is described in detail. Any wildlife spotted or shot in the jungle which would have been good for food is always mentioned. Where possible, the sighting of wildlife is related to known landmarks. Unusual dangers encountered are also described. Fallen trees do not usually elicit comment, except where a windstorm has uprooted many trees and the trail is blocked for over fifty yards or so. Other people met on the trail and the purpose of their trip are mentioned. Often a speaker merely surmises their reason for travelling. As in the case of people travelling with the speaker, all significant people passed on the trail are listed by name, role or description. At the end of the list, the total number in the party including unlisted people is given. Details such as getting wet, blisters, and other minor mishaps are not usually mentioned. None of the recognized ―checkpoints‖ can be omitted. In territory unfamiliar to the listener, the narrator can choose his own ―checkpoints.‖ Arrival at the destination lets your listener know you are nearing the end of the story. The time of arrival at the destination is very important to the listener. All the people expected to be at the destination are mentioned as being presentabsent and wellill. It is important to state where you stayed, how long you remained there and when you started back. The return journey may be described in great detail just as the outward journey was described; or only the arrival time at home need be mentioned. A yielding-the-floor expression tells the audience the story is over.

11.4 Grammar

An analysis of Kuna conversation reveals that a conversation may be generally divided into several parts. The ability to carry on a conversation and keep it going is a very important aspect of language learning. As you learn to carry on longer and longer conversations with the Kuna people, your understanding of the language and of the people themselves will increase dramatically. You will usually find that your early attempts at making conversation result in fairly short dialogues. This may become frustrating. To help you begin using the art of conversation, plan ahead Before going to visit, think out a topic of conversation and plan the words you will use. Some insight into various elements of Kuna conversation will help you plan a conversation and help you use your knowledge of the language. A Kuna conversation is generally made up of several elements. Greetings are exchanged before any topic is discussed and then a topic must be established. Once a conversation is underway, the Kuna people use various sounds, words, phrases, and intonation to indicate whether the speaker wishes to keep talking on the same topic sustaining the topic, keep talking but change the topic holding the floor, allow someone else to speak about the topic yielding the floor, or that he has finished speaking waiving the floor. It is important to leave the room, thus, ending conversation, by using an appropriate farewell. In summary, elements of a Kuna conversation include: 1. Greeting 2. Establishment of topic 3. Sustaining the topic 4. Holding the floor 11.4 Grammar 131 5. Yielding the floor 6. Waiving the floor 7. Farewell

11.4.1 Greeting

Many greetings are used in Kuna. Two important factors in selecting the form of a greeting are your statusrole in the Kuna society, in relation to the person to whom you are speaking, and the situation in which the greeting is given.

11.4.1.1 Relative status

As an outsider, your greetings will be more formal than greetings between Kunas, who have a more intimate relationship family members or close friends, would be. Formality is not so much a matter of the form of greeting selected as the way one enters a house, or otherwise shows the proper respect.

11.4.1.2 Situation

The greeting will vary according to whether or not this is the first contact of the day, or whether one of the parties has been away on a trip, or just away to his field. Some greetings can be used for more than one situation.

11.4.1.3 Greetings used in the village

1 Arrival greeting It is common for people to announce their arrival at a place a house or another location by saying the following: Anná. ‗HelloI‘ve come.‘ 2 Successive arrival greeting Subsequent arrivals at the same location are announced by saying the following: An pemalzhe tanibal. ‗I‘ve come back again to you all.‘ 3 First greeting of the day The greeting for the first encounter for the day usually used only in the morning is the following: ¿Ig oipos? ‗How are you this morning? How did you greet the dawn?‘ 4 General greeting A general greeting that may be used at any time of the day whether it is your first encounter with the person or not is the following: ¿Igi kude? ‗How are things?‘ ¿Tegidde? ‗What‘s new?What‘s happening?‘ 5 Greeting from a passerby When you are walking through the village, it is customary to call out to the houses you pass using such greetings as the following: ¿Pemalde? ‗How are you all?‘ ¿Pukwamal? ‗Are you there?‘ ¿Pemaldega? ‗How is it with you all?‘