The Pragmatic Functions of the Imperative in Jordanian Arabic

This research paper investigates and analyzes the contextual and pragmatic functions of the imperative in Jordanian Arabic1. Concisely, it sheds light on the relationship between the addresser and the addressee on the one hand and the context in which the imperative is used on the other. As for data collection, two instruments were used in this study: 1) observation of naturally occurring language, and 2) a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) modified from Beebe and Cummings (1990). Based on the data gathered by the two instruments, it turned out that there are three main semantic formulas through which the imperative is communicated in Jordanian Arabic. These are (1) direct imperative verbs, (2) declaratives, and (3) interrogatives. The choice of the semantic formula is constrained by a whole set of competing forces such as the status of the interlocutors, the setting, etc. Accordingly, the researchers were able to detect twenty pragmatic functions of the imperative in Jordanian Arabic.