The Grammar of Interactional Language

282 Pages·2021·4.592 MB·

by  Martina Wiltschko

The Grammar of Interactional Language
Traditional grammar and current theoretical approaches toward modeling
grammatical knowledge ignore language in interaction: that is, words such
ashuh,eh,yuporyessssss.Thisgroundbreakingbookaddressesthisgapby
providing the first in-depth overview of approaches toward interactional
language across different frameworks and linguistic sub-disciplines. Based
ontheinsightsthatemerge,aformalframeworkisdevelopedtodiscoverand
comparelanguageininteractionacrossdifferentlanguages:theInteractional
SpineHypothesis.Twocase-studiesarepresented:confirmationals(suchas
ehandhuh)andresponsemarkers(suchasyesandno),bothofwhichshow
evidenceforsystematicgrammaticalknowledge.Assumingthatlanguagein
interaction is regulated by grammatical knowledge sheds new light on old
questions concerning the relation between language and thought and the
relation between language and communication. It is essential reading for
anyone interested in the relation between language, cognition, and social
interaction.
martina wiltschko isanICREAResearchProfessorattheUniversitat
PompeuFabra,Barcelona.
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The Grammar of Interactional
Language
Martina Wiltschko
ICREA,UniversitatPompeuFabra,Barcelona
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To all the warriors!
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Contents
ListofFigures pagexi
ListofTables xii
ListofConversationBoards xiii
Acknowledgments xiv
ListofAbbreviations xv
Prologue xvi
1 InteractionalLanguage 1
1.1 IntroducingInteractionalLanguage 1
1.2 TowardaGrammarofInteractionalLanguage 2
1.3 TheSignificanceofInteractionalLanguage 4
2 TheSyntacticizationofSpeechActs 9
2.1 Introduction 9
2.2 ClassicSpeechActTheory 10
2.2.1 SituatingSpeechActTheory 10
2.2.2 WhatAreSpeechActs? 11
2.3 TheLinguisticPropertiesofSpeechActs 13
2.4 SyntacticizingSpeechActsPartI:TheViewfromGenerativeSemantics 16
2.4.1 HowtoEncodeMeaninginSyntax 17
2.4.2 SyntacticUnderpinningsofthePerformativeHypothesis 19
2.5 TheFateofthePerformativeHypothesis 20
2.5.1 ArgumentsagainstAustin’sPerformativeHypothesis 21
2.5.2 ArgumentsagainsttheEmpiricalEvidence 22
2.5.3 ArgumentsagainsttheSyntacticizationofPragmatics 23
2.6 SyntacticizingSpeechActsPartII:FunctionalArchitecture 24
2.6.1 TheoreticalBackground 25
2.6.2 ADedicatedSpeechActStructure 30
2.6.3 NewTheories,NewProblems 34
2.7 Conclusion 35
3 FromSpeechActstoInteraction 38
3.1 Introduction 38
3.2 PhilosophicalUnderpinnings 40
3.2.1 AssumptionsaboutConversations 40
3.2.2 DifferentWaysofDoingThingswithLanguage 42
vii
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viii Contents
3.3 Dialogue-BasedFrameworks 44
3.3.1 ConversationAnalysis 44
3.3.2 GroundingTheory 48
3.4 FunctionalGrammar-BasedFrameworks 50
3.4.1 SystemicFunctionalLinguistics 51
3.4.2 FunctionalDiscourseGrammar 51
3.4.3 Longacre’sGrammarofDiscourse 53
3.4.4 InteractionalLinguistics 54
3.5 FormalGrammar-BasedFrameworks:TheSemanticAngle 56
3.5.1 FormalSemanticsoftheTruth-ConditionalKind 56
3.5.2 CommonGroundandDynamicSemantics 57
3.5.3 TheQuestionunderDiscussionandBeingInquisitive 58
3.5.4 TowardaFormalSemanticsofDialogue 61
3.5.5 ExpressiveDimensionsandOtherFormsofLanguageUse 62
3.6 FormalGrammar-BasedFrameworks:TheSyntacticAngle 64
3.7 Conclusion 66
4 TheInteractionalSpineHypothesis 72
4.1 ProblemsIWanttoAddress 73
4.1.1 TheEmpiricalProblem:ConfirmationalsandResponse
Markers 73
4.1.2 TheAnalyticalProblem:TheNeedforaFramework 75
4.1.3 TheTheoreticalProblem:WhatDoesItAllMean? 75
4.1.4 TheMethodologicalProblem:InteractionalData 76
4.2 TheFramework:TheUniversalSpineHypothesis 77
4.3 WhatIPropose:TheInteractionalSpineHypothesis 80
4.3.1 ExtendingtheUniversalSpinewithInteractional
Functions 81
4.3.2 AssumptionsabouttheNormalCourseofthe
Conversation 85
4.3.3 Methodology 90
4.3.4 ReportingAcceptabilityJudgments 92
5 InitiatingMoves:ACase-StudyofConfirmationals 93
5.1 Introduction 93
5.2 TheGrammarofInitiatingMoves 94
5.2.1 TheFunctionofConfirmationals 94
5.2.2 ConfirmationalsontheInteractionalSpine 98
5.2.3 TheCoreMeaningofConfirmationals 101
5.2.4 Predictions 102
5.3 TheRoleoftheHostClause:TargetofConfirmation 103
5.3.1 Declaratives 104
5.3.2 Interrogatives 106
5.3.3 Imperatives 109
5.3.4 Exclamatives 112
5.3.5 Summary 116
5.4 TheArticulatedGroundP 118
5.4.1 TheArgumentfromInterpretation 118
5.4.2 TheArgumentfromDifferencesinConfirmationals 120
5.4.3 TheArgumentfromMultipleSentence-FinalParticles 124
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Contents ix
5.4.4 TheArgumentfromClause-TypeRestriction 126
5.4.5 Summary 127
5.5 ConfirmationalParadigms 128
5.5.1 AParadigmaticContrastBasedOn[+/−coin] 128
5.5.2 TheTimingofGrounding 131
5.5.3 TheGradabilityofBeliefs 135
5.6 ConfirmationalsandTheirKin 137
5.6.1 Narrativevs.ConfirmationalEh 138
5.6.2 WhenAttitudesNeedNotBeConfirmed 139
5.6.3 WhatMakesUsUncertain:TheRoleofEvidence 140
5.7 Conclusion 144
6 ReactingMoves:ACase-StudyofResponseMarkers 147
6.1 Introduction 147
6.2 TheGrammarofReactingMoves 150
6.2.1 RespPinInitiationandReaction:SimilaritiesandDifferences 150
6.2.2 TheCoreMeaningofResponseMarkers 153
6.2.3 TheTargetofResponse 154
6.3 AssociatingResponseMarkerswiththeInteractionalSpine 156
6.3.1 Answering:WhenResponseMarkersAssociatewithCP 156
6.3.2 (Dis-)agreement:WhenResponseMarkersAssociatewith
Ground P 160
Spkr
6.3.3 Acknowledgment:WhenResponseMarkersAssociatewith
Ground P 176
Adr
6.3.4 Responding:WhenResponseMarkersAssociatewithRespP 177
6.4 ReactingwithEmotions 182
6.4.1 ReactionsandEmotions 182
6.4.2 EmotiveContentviaProsodicModification 184
6.4.3 EmotiveContentviaComplexResponseMarkers 193
6.4.4 EmotivityIsNotaSpinalFunction 195
6.5 Conclusion 199
7 TheGrammarofInteractionalLanguage 200
7.1 Introduction 200
7.2 TheSyntacticizationofVerbalInteraction 201
7.2.1 TheInteractionalSpineHypothesis 201
7.2.2 IngredientsoftheInteractionalSpineHypothesis 203
7.3 TowardaFormalTypologyofInteractionalLanguage 205
7.3.1 WhatIsaFormalTypologyofInteractionalLanguage? 205
7.3.2 WhereandHowandWhen 206
7.3.3 MorePredictionsoftheInteractionalSpineHypothesis 210
7.4 ExploringtheCognitiveUnderpinningsoftheGrammarofInteraction 213
7.4.1 EvidenceforCognitiveUnderpinnings 214
7.4.2 DoInteractiveAbilitiesPrecedeLinguisticAbilities? 216
7.4.3 InteractiveAbilitiesAreAlsoLinguisticAbilities:TheBridgeModel 217
7.5 ConclusionsandFurtherQuestions 221
7.5.1 Conclusion 221
7.5.2 Logophoricity 222
7.5.3 Genre,Style,andSubjectivity 223
7.5.4 InformationStructure 225
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x Contents
7.5.5 TheRoleofIntonation 226
7.5.6 TheClauseType–SpeechActMapping 226
Epilogue 229
Bibliography 231
Index 261
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