118
Due to the inherent nature of first person narratives, the data for a global VIP is not as revealing for this type of narrative as it is for third person narratives.
7.2.3 Local VIPs
Local VIPs parallel global VIPs except that they are VIPs for limited portions of text. Local VIPs may attain this status either due to social hierarchies ingrained in the
culture or from their centrality to the storyline. In all of the examples, the local VIPs have lighter coding than the other participants.
At the end of the Fish story, Jii-Mlii is referred to as the ‘wife of Bachelor Smelt- fish’. In this situation, the local VIP, Smelt-fish, is determined by societal hierarchy.
Smelt-fish has a higher status as a man and references to him are coded less than those for Jii-Mlii. In example 131a, the first clause narrates when Bachelor Smelt-fish and Jii-
Mlii arrive at the gravesite. The second clause further describes the setting and then some ensuing dialogue occurs. After the dialogue between Smelt-fish and the people at the
gravesite, the third clause 131c given below shows Jii-Mlii referred to with a noun phrase anchored to Smelt-fish.
131 a. +
serendipitous arrive bachelor fish smelt along with DET wife 3S.POSS +
from there also ‘Serendipitously along came Bachelor Smelt-fish with his wife from there.’
b. V0
3S see
people at grave there many simply ‘He Smelt-fish saw many people there at the gravesite.’
119 c. +
+ K
after that wife bachelor fish smelt DEM3 say ‘After that the wife of Bachelor Smelt-fish said, “quote.” ’ [Fish 501-2, 511]
At the close of the story, the Cow story contains a clear example of a local VIP, the bull owner, when all participants are on-stage. This part of the story contains a great
deal of dialogue, so the majority of participant references occur in quote formulas. The bull owner’s status as a local VIP results from the centrality of events proving his guilt.
The first line of this episode brings the cow owner onto the scene; after that there are no further references to him outside of quoted speech. Example 132 illustrates an
ambiguous reference to the bull owner. The thematic salience marker helps to identify the referent as the bull owner, who is the most salient participant in this peak episode.
132 K
+ 3S
TSM ask further what NMLZ 2S.M
‘He the bull owner asked rabbit further, “What’s your problem?” ’ [Cow 118-9]
The Life story contains two local VIPs, Pol Pot and Hun Sen, both of whom play an important role in Cambodia’s history. The first reference to Pol Pot 133 is an indirect
reference, ‘he, EMPH’, and carries the connotation of ‘he, the leader’. It occurs
immediately after the Khmer Rouge are introduced in the previous clause. It is not until six clauses later that Pol Pot is referenced by name 134.
133 + +
+ +
after that 3S EMPH rule grasp head villager forest land EXIST
120 9
U :W
3 year 8 month 20 day ‘After that the leader dominated the heads of the people of the land for 3 years, 8
months and 20 days.’ [Life 11]
134 + V0
F +
+ +
E + +E.
+ ++
+ +
+ M
?1 F
F E + G+
‘After that they gathered all the ethnic groups and persuaded us to drive out Pol Pot’s evil army from the land of the Khmer.’
[Life 17] The initial reference to Hun Sen is also indirect and ambiguous. He is referenced
with the kin term ‘father’ in 135. Five clauses later, the very last clause of the story,
the narrator gives his proper name cf. §8.3.1 for further discussion of first mention. The following example is repeated from 91.
135 + +
R 4
4QRQ +
after that former arrive day 7 month 1 year 1979 because father EXIST
family see EXIST NMLZ compassion worry.about ‘After that came January 7, 1979, because father Hun Sen had a family who saw
and had compassion and concern.’ [Life 16]
7.2.4 Under-coding
