A Case Study of the Construction of Humour in Trevor Noah’s Stand-up Comedies

Abstract

This research is a linguistic analysis of the construction of humour in Trevor Noah's stand-up comedies. The study explores the elements of morphology, phonology, and pragmatics in Trevor Noah's comedic style. It adopts a qualitative approach and collects primary data from the YouTube video titled "15 Minutes of Trevor Noah: Man of All Nations |Netflix Is A Joke". A corpus is created to identify the morphological processes and phonological factors employed by Trevor Noah in the construction of his comedy. Secondary data are gathered from research articles and books. The research aims to answer two main research questions: (1) How does Trevor Noah use linguistic elements in constructing his jokes and stories in stand-up comedy? (2) How do linguistic elements affect the effectiveness of Trevor Noah's comedic construction? The findings of the study reveal that Trevor Noah employs various morphological processes, such as borrowing, and compound words which contribute to Trevor Noah's comedic style. In terms of phonology, Trevor Noah skilfully imitates accents enhancing the humorous effect of his jokes. In conclusion, this study fills the gap by linguistically analysing the construction of humour in Trevor Noah's stand-up comedies. It demonstrates how linguistic elements, such as morphology, phonology, and pragmatics, play a vital role in Trevor Noah's comedic style. The study emphasises the strategic use of these elements to create accurate punchlines, engage the audience through accents, and employ sarcasm and irony for comedic effects. However, caution should be exercised when generalising the findings, as the study is based on one comedian.