3. Condolence Expressions: Its Techniques and Pragmatic Meanings among the Salale Oromo of North Shewa, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

In the context of grieving people stand along the bereaved to show their intimacy and
condolence. To this end, they use different condolence expressions which have different
implications for the bereaved in particular as well as the community in general. So, this paper
focuses on techniques and pragmatic meanings of condolence expressions among the Salale
Oromo of Ethiopia. To conduct this study, ethnography was used as research design to show
the culture and language used to express one‟s condolence among the target speech
community. The data analysis indicates that there are different techniques of condolence
expressions among the community. The pragmatic meanings of the expressions are love and
respect that the members of the community have for the deceased, bereaved, and good deeds
of the departed one, closeness that the community has with the bereaved, togetherness among
the community, and the community‟s special place for good deeds which are accomplished by
members of the community when they are alive. Thus, the condolence expressions play great
role in the development of social, cultural, economic, and political system of the speech
community. Thus, we suggest that it is essential to keep the culture from negative impacts of
modernization because it positively contributes to human progress by strengthening social
relationship.