Pre-funeral condolence visits as pragmemes

Abstract

In this chapter we discuss the discursive structure and features of pre-burial visits among the Basotho people. We look at these visits as a pragmatic phenomenon, with a particular focus on the language used and how the social context shapes language use. Language used in these contexts constitutes a particular kind of social action whose function extends well beyond the semantic structure of what is said. The chapter therefore illuminates the significance of language as an action embedded in a particular socio-cultural context.