Semantic under specification in context-dependent expressions in EkeGusii

Abstract

This paper investigates semantic under specification in the EkeGusii language, a Bantu language spoken in southwestern Kenya. The focus is on context-dependent expressions particularly quantifiers, pronouns, and adjectives that exhibit indeterminacy in meaning until resolved through discourse. The analysis is framed within Dynamic Semantics and Contextualism, both of which provide robust tools for understanding how such expressions interact with context to yield interpretation. Using elicited examples and natural discourse data, the study reveals that EkeGusii extensively relies on contextual cues such as noun class agreement, discourse prominence, and sociocultural frames to resolve underspecified meanings. Findings demonstrate that under specification in EkeGusii is not an anomaly but a functional design of the language that enables flexible and efficient communication, consistent with broader patterns in Bantu semantics.