Discourse Studies in Cognitive Linguistics: Selected Papers from the Fifth International Cognitive Linguistics Conference, Amsterdam, 1997

201 Pages·1999·3.5 MB·English

by  Karen Van Hoek

Discourse stuDies in cognitive Linguistics
AMSTERDAM STUDIES IN THE THEORY AND
HISTORY OF LINGUISTIC SCIENCE
general editor
e.F. KonrAD Koerner
(university of ottawa)
series iv – current issues in Linguistic tHeorY
Advisory Editorial Board
raimo Anttila (Los Angeles); Lyle campbell (christchurch, n.Z.)
John e. Joseph (edinburgh); Manfred Krifka (Austin, tex.)
Hans-Heinrich Lieb (Berlin); ernst Pulgram (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
e. Wyn roberts (vancouver, B.c.); Hans-Jürgen sasse (Köln)
volume 176
Karen van Hoek, Andrej A. Kibrik and Leo noordman (eds.)
Discourse Studies in Cognitive Linguistics
Selected papers from the fifth International Cognitive Linguistics
Conference, Amsterdam, July 1997
Discourse stuDies in
cognitive Linguistics
seLecteD PAPers FroM tHe FiFtH internAtionAL
cognitive Linguistics conFerence
Amsterdam, July 1997
edited by
KAren vAn HoeK
University of Michigan
AnDreJ A. KiBriK
Institute of Linguistics, Russian Academy of Sciences
Leo noorDMAn
Tilburg University
JoHn BenJAMins PuBLisHing coMPAnY
AMsterDAM/PHiLADeLPHiA
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American na-
tional standard for information sciences — Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, Ansi Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
international cognitive Linguistics conference (5th : 1997 : Amsterdam, netherlands)
Discourse studies in cognitive linguistics : selected papers from the fifth international cognitive Linguis-
tics conference, Amsterdam, 1997 / edited by Karen van Hoek, Andrej A. Kibrik, Leo noordman.
p. cm. -- (Amsterdam studies in the theory and history of linguistic science. series iv, current is-
sues in linguistic theory, issn 0304-0763 ; v. 176)
includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Discourse analysis--Psychological aspects congresses. 2. cognitive grammar congresses. i. van Hoek,
Karen. ii. Kibrik, A. A. iii. noordman, Leonard g. M., 1940- . iv title. v. series.
P302.8.i57 1999
401’.41--Dc21 99-15506
isbn 978 90 272 3682 1 (eur.) / 978 1 55619 893 9 (us) (hb; alk. paper)
isbn 978 90 272 8949 0 (eb) ciP
© 1999 – John Benjamins B.v.
reprint 2009
no part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means,
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John Benjamins Publishing Co. • P.O.Box 36224 • 1020 ME Amsterdam • The Netherlands
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v
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Part I. REFERENCE IN DISCOURSE
Embodied in a Constructed World: Narrative processing, knowledge 5
representation, and indirect anaphora
Catherine Emmott
Reference and Working Memory: Cognitive inferences from discourse 29
observations
Andrej A. Kibrik
Roles, Frames and Definiteness 53
Richard Epstein
The Selection of Definite Expressions in Spanish 75
Maquela Brizuela
Part II. INFORMATION STRUCTURING IN DISCOURSE
Theme, Comment, and Newness 91
as Figures in Information Structuring
Jan-Ola (cid:133)stman and Tuija Virtanen
Cognitive Effects of Shell Nouns 111
Hans-J(cid:154)rg Schmid
vi CONTENTS
Part III. DISCOURSE MARKERS
Prosodic Markers of Text Structure 133
Leo Noordman, Ingrid Dassen, Marc Swerts,
and Jacques Terken
Accent and Modal Particles 149
Els Elffers
How Dutch Final Particles Constrain the Construal 165
of Utterances: Experiment and etymology
Robert S. Kirsner and Vincent J. van Heuven
Index 185
INTRODUCTION 1
INTRODUCTION
Language has two essential functions: communication and information
storage. These two functions give rise to two modes in which human language
exists (cid:209) what we may call, using the computer metaphor, on-line and off-line
modes. The primary realization of the on-line mode is natural discourse, as it
unfolds dynamically in real time. The central phenomenon of the off-line mode
is the (relatively) stable system of lexical semantics.
What is known as (cid:210)Cognitive Linguistics(cid:211) has up until now dealt mostly
with off-line phenomena. For example, the work of Lakoff (as in Lakoff & Johnson
1980, Lakoff 1987) addresses, first and foremost, lexical semantics. There are
works in Cognitive Linguistics which come closer to studying on-line phenomena
(e.g. Langacker 1996, or some of the recent work on blending of mental spaces
by Mark Turner and Gilles Fauconnier, such as Fauconnier & Turner 1998), but
that does not deny the overall tendency. It appears at times that semantics
(especially lexical semantics) is the purview of Cognitive Linguistics, while
discourse is the subject of Functionalist Linguistics.
There are some recent publications which begin to bridge the gap between
Cognitive Linguistics and discourse analysis; cf. Goldberg (ed.) (1996); Sanders
(1997). Such works reflect a recent trend of expanding the conception of Cognitive
Linguistics to include discourse analysis. Cognitive linguists are drawing on the
insights of cognitively oriented discourse analysis, such as the work of Chafe
(1994), Tomlin (1994), Givon (1995) and others. This kind of work most definitely
can and should be termed part of Cognitive Linguistics, but for various historical
reasons it is not generally thought of as such. We may hope that the Cognitive
Linguistics of the future will define itself broadly enough to encompass research
of this kind.
The papers in this volume represent one more contribution towards the
goal of bridging the gap between Cognitive Linguistics and discourse analysis.
The papers are organized thematically into three parts.
The papers in Part I address various problems of reference in spoken
discourse and in written texts. Catherine Emmott(cid:213)s paper explores the ways in
which readers of a narrative construct cognitive (cid:210)worlds(cid:211) as they read, and interpret
2 INTRODUCTION
pronouns and other nominals not merely in terms of their relationships with other
parts of the text, but in terms of their function relative to these imaginatively
constructed worlds. Andrej Kibrik(cid:213)s paper also addresses pronominal reference
in texts; it offers an empirical study of the factors determining referential choice
in discourse, and inquires into connections between referential processes and the
cognitive-psychological realm of working memory. Richard Epstein analyzes
the contribution of stereotypical roles and frames in the use of the definite article
in English; he finds that definite expressions are not merely permitted or (cid:210)licensed(cid:211)
by particular conceptual frames that have already been evoked in the discourse,
but rather that the usage of a definite article can actually evoke such frames for
the reader or listener. Finally, Maquela Brizuela approaches the issue of
definiteness from a different angle, presenting an empirical study of factors
influencing the choice of definite expressions in spoken Spanish.
The two papers in Part II explore different facets of the packaging and
management of information in discourse. The paper by Jan-Ola (cid:133)stman and
Tuija Virtanen takes a metatheoretical perspective on the relationship between
cognitive and Information Structuring notions as they apply to discourse analysis,
arguing for the need for careful distinctions between notions which tend to be
conflated or confused. Hans-J(cid:154)rg Schmid(cid:213)s paper on (cid:210)shell nouns(cid:211) in English
offers a detailed analysis of one strategy which speakers may use to package
complex conceptions in discourse; he shows that this strategy not only assists the
discourse participants in keeping track of complex conceptions, but that it also
allows the speaker to put his or her own subtle shading on those conceptions
while appearing to take an objective stance.
The papers in Part III offer empirical studies of the usage of specific
discourse markers. The paper by Leo Noordman, Ingrid Dassen, Marc Swerts,
and Jacques Terken presents a study addressing the question of whether there are
prosodic clues to discourse structure serving roughly the same functions as textual
markers (such as blank lines, paragraph breaks, indentation, etc.) in written texts.
Els Elffers analyzes the semantics of pragmatic particles in Dutch in order to
explain the observation that these particles cannot bear stress. Finally, Robert
Kirsner and Vincent J. van Heuven take a different approach to the semantics of
Dutch pragmatic particles, using experimental studies designed to semantically
differentiate four of these particles.
Taken together, the papers in this volume are an illustration of the
importance for Cognitive Linguistics of taking discourse into account, and the
significant contribution to discourse analysis that is offered by Cognitive
Linguistics.
INTRODUCTION 3
References
Chafe, Wallace. 1994. Discourse, consciousness, and time. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press.
Fauconnier, Gilles & Mark Turner. 1998. (cid:210)Conceptual Integration Networks(cid:211).
Cognitive Science (22)2:133-187
Givcn, T. 1995. Functionalism and Grammar. Amsterdam & Philadelphia:
John Benjamins.
Goldberg, Adele E., ed. 1996. Conceptual Structure, Discourse, and Language.
Stanford, CA: CSLI Publications.
Lakoff, George. 1987. Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things. What categories
reveal about the mind. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
—————— & Mark Johnson. 1980. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.
Langacker, Ronald. 1996. (cid:210)Conceptual Grouping and Pronominal Anaphora(cid:211).
Studies in Anaphora ed. by B. Fox, 333-378. Amsterdam & Philadelphia:
John Benjamins.
Sanders, Ted. 1997. (cid:210)Psycholinguistcs and the discourse level: Challenges for
cognitive linguistics(cid:211). Cognitive Linguistics 8. 243-265.
Tomlin, Russell. 1994. (cid:210)Focal attention, voice and word order: An
experimental cross-linguistic study(cid:211). Word Order in Discourse ed. by
Pamela Downing & Michael Noonan, 517-554. Amsterdam &
Philadelphia: John Benjamins.