Understanding Pragmatic Markers: A Variational Pragmatic Approach

173 Pages·2013·1.51 MB·English

by  Karin Aijmer

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How do pragmatic markers vary according to the region, the social D
situation and the identity of the speaker? What can the study of E
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variation pragmatics add to our knowledge of pragmatic markers?
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Understanding Pragmatic Markers is inspired by recent ideas in A
pragmatics on variation in language use with regard to social, cultural N
and regional factors. Karin Aijmer argues that in addition to a general D
analysis of pragmatic markers we need to take into account their I
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occurrence in different varieties of English, text types and activity
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types. Expanding the study of pragmatic markers in this way broadens
the area of study and results in a better knowledge of pragmatic P
markers in general. R
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By discussing the different theoretical frameworks, methodologies
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such as corpus linguistics and the debates around the categorisation
of the functions of pragmatic markers, this accessible introduction A
Understanding
brings students and scholars in linguistics up-to-date with this T
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dynamic field of research. C
M Pragmatic
Karin Aijmer is Professor Emeritus at the University of Gothenburg.
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Coverimage:@CactuSoup/iStockphoto. R
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Coverdesign:McColmDesign.co.uk Markers
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A VARIATIONAL
E
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PRAGMATIC APPROACH
ISBN978-0-7486-3550-4
KARIN AIJMER
www.euppublishing.com
Understanding Pragmatic Markers
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AAIIJJMMEERR 99778800774488663355449988 PPRRIINNTT..iinndddd iiii 1188//0033//22001133 1144::2211
UNDERSTANDING PRAGMATIC
MARKERS
A Variational Pragmatic Approach
Karin Aijmer
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© Karin Aijmer, 2013
Edinburgh University Press Ltd
22 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LF
www.euppublishing.com
Typeset in 10/12 Ehrhardt
by Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire, and
printed and bound in Great Britain by
CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 0 7486 3549 8 (hardback)
ISBN 978 0 7486 3550 4 (paperback)
ISBN 978 0 7486 3551 1 (webready PDF)
ISBN 978 0 7486 8165 5 (epub)
ISBN 978 0 7486 8164 8 (Amazon ebook)
The right of Karin Aijmer
to be identifi ed as author of this work
has been asserted in accordance with
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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Contents
Acknowledgments viii
Symbols used in Discourse Transcriptions ix
1 Intr oduction 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Defi nition of Pragmatic Markers in This Work 4
1.2.1 Pragmatic Markers and Refl exivity 4
1.2.2 Pragmatic Markers as Contextualisation Cues 6
1.3 Methodology 8
1.4 Linguistic Theories Accounting for the Relationship between Pragmatic
Markers and Context 9
1.4.1 Integrative Theories 10
1.4.2 Relevance Theory 11
1.4.3 Pragmatic Markers and Meaning Potentials 12
1.5 Pragmatic Markers and the Context 13
1.6 Formal Features of Pragmatic Markers 16
1.7 Functional Features of Pragmatic Markers 17
1.8 Summary and Conclusion 17
2 The Pragmatic Marker Well 20
2.1 Introduction 20
2.2 Previous Studies of Well 21
2.3 Distribution of Well in the Corpus 25
2.4 Formal Properties of Well 27
2.5 Well and Collocation 29
2.6 Well and Meaning Potentials 29
2.7 Classifi cation of Well in This Work 30
2.8 Well and Coherence 32
2.8.1 Word- search and Self- repair 32
2.8.2 Well as a Turn- taking Device 34
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vvii UNDERSTANDING PRAGMATICC OMNATREKNERTSS
2.8.3 Transition According to an Agenda 35
2.8.4 Transition to a Quotation 36
2.9 Well and Involvement 37
2.9.1 Well and Agreement 37
2.9.2 Well and Disagreement 40
2.9.3 Well as a Feedback to Questions 40
2.10 Well and Politeness 42
2.11 Well in Private Dialogue 43
2.11.1 Well in Face- To- Face Conversation 43
2.11.2 Well in Telephone Conversation 49
2.12 Well in Public Dialogue 55
2.12.1 Well in Broadcast Discussion 56
2.12.2 Well in Cross- Examination 63
2.13 Well in Spontaneous Commentaries 66
2.14 Conclusion 71
3 In Fact and Actually – A Class of Adversative Pragmatic Markers 74
3.1 Introduction 74
3.2 Previous Work 75
3.3 Distribution of In Fact and Actually over Text Types 75
3.4 In Fact 79
3.4.1 Introduction 79
3.4.2 Formal Factors 79
3.5 In Fact and Function 81
3.5.1 The Adversative In Fact 82
3.5.2 The Elaborative In Fact 85
3.5.3 In Fact as a Hedging Device 88
3.5.3 In Fact as a Softener in End Position 89
3.5.5 Summarising In Fact In Conversation 89
3.6 In Fact in Public Dialogue 90
3.6.1 In Fact in Legal Cross- Examinations 91
3.6.2 In Fact in Broadcast Discussion 95
3.7 In Fact in Monologues 98
3.7.1 In Fact in Demonstrations 98
3.7.2 In Fact in Unscripted Speeches 100
3.8 In Fact in Writing 102
3.9 Summarising In Fact 103
3.10 Actually 103
3.10.1 Introduction 103
3.10.2 Formal Factors 104
3.11 Actually and Function 107
3.11.1 Emphasising Reality 107
3.11.2 Explicit and Implicit Opposition 107
3.11.3 Hedging and Politeness 109
3.11.4 Novelty and Surprise 110
3.11.5 Emphasising the Speaker’s Position 111
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CCOONNTTEENNTTSS vviiii
3.11.6 Elaboration 112
3.12 Summarising Actually in Conversation 116
3.13 Actually in Public Dialogue 117
3.13.1 Actually in Classroom Lessons 117
3.13.2 Actually in Business Transactions 120
3.14 Actually in Monologues 122
3.14.1 Actually in Demonstrations 122
3.15 Actually in Writing 123
3.16 Summarising Actually 123
3.17 Comparison of In Fact and Actually 123
4 General Extenders 127
4.1 Introduction 127
4.2 Previous Work 128
4.3 Formal Structure of General Extenders 129
4.4 Data 131
4.5 Distribution of General Extenders across Varieties 132
4.6 Factors Accounting for Variability of General Extenders 137
4.6.1 Grammaticalisation 137
4.6.2 Function of And- and Or- Extenders 139
4.6.3 Shared Knowledge and Positive Politeness 140
4.6.4 Intensifi cation 143
4.6.5 Hedging and Negative Politeness 144
4.6.6 General Extenders and Fluency 145
4.7 Conclusion 145
5 Conclusion 148
References 150
Author Index 158
Subject Index 160
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Acknowledgements
I am deeply grateful to many people who have read diff erent chapters of the book and pro-
vided valuable comments. I especially want to thank Bengt Altenberg, Gisle Andersen,
Ad Foolen, Jennifer Herriman, Joybrato Mukherjee and his students, Heike Pichler and
Anna- Brita Stenström.
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Symbols used in Discourse Transcriptions
<,> short pause
.. short pause
<,,> long pause
. . . long pause
= lengthening
<.> . . . </.> incomplete words
<O> . . . </O> untranscribed text
[ ] speech overlap
<X . . . X> uncertain hearing
(H) inhalation
% glottal stop
(TSK) type of vocal noise
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