Focus and Emphasis Constructions in Cameroon English Creative Writing

Abstract

This paper examines the various linguistic features used by Cameroonian writers of English expression in order to mark focus and emphasis, with reference to thirteen literary works of five prominent Cameroonian writers namely, Linus T. Asong, Shadrach A. Ambanasom, Francis B. Nyamnjoh, Eugène Konyuy and Ngoran Tardzenyuy. The findings of the study reveal that these writers make use of thematised deixis and phrases, emphatic deixis, pronoun copying or double subject constructions, emphasis with “pronoun (subject) + tell+ pronoun (object)” and reduplication in order to mark focus and emphasis. It is also found that, though with different patterns, some of the focus and emphasis constructions found in Cameroonian literary works are also attested in the works of other writers of the “outer circle”. This can be attributed to two main factors: the influence of Cameroonian writers of English expression by other African writers and the fact that Cameroonian writers, like other African writers are influenced by their background languages (Bantu languages) which display a lot of similarities.