Socio-linguistic appraisal of language of reprimand between lower and higher classes of the society

Abstract

Language is a system of communication; it is a medium through which information is passed from one person or group to the other. Language is very crucial to the entire existence of man. This work mirrors the usage of language in the society, specifically it explores the language use in reprimanding /correction of some misdeeds by children/young adults in the society,using the insights from Dell Hymes Ethnography of communication as the theory. Works in this regards has been done using socio-linguistic analysis but the existing literature is not holistic and this necessitated the new drift to be explored. This therefore necessitated a new drift in socio-linguistic studies. The societal strata which comprise of the mainstream and non - mainstream of the society have different ways of using language in different ideal situations. The work discovered that language used is pari passu with class in the society and this affects and re-model the psyche of the individuals involved. The language of reprimand used was both loud and soft and was gathered through oral interviews and observation from the two classes. The language of reprimand for the upper class is discovered to be soft and mild while that of the lower class is loud and harsh.