SEMANTIC VALUE OF SILENCE IN TIV DISCOURSE

Semantics attaches meaning and value to all aspects of human behavior including silence. The way we dress, talk, eat, walk, look at things, etc., all convey meaning. This is because everything that human beings do, actions and inactions have meaning in semantics. It.is in view of this t|iat the researchers want to examine the value of silence which is the complete absence of sound or noise in’a discourse. Silence is an aspect of nonverbal communication that is often used; in Tiv Discourse. It expresses information about the,.user’s feelings, ideas, attitudes, etc. People from different cultures' have different meanings and interpretations of silence whenever it is used in any discourse. This work however, Centre sonly on Tiv experience and usage. The findings of the.work show that silence has both positive and negative semantic values in Tiv discourse. Most importantly, the work helps us to knowwhen and how to use it and shall not bother much that it is an insult or one is ignored whenever it is used, for it may convey different meaning. The paper is a contribution to the development of Tiv discourse studies and language in general.