In:Studies at the Grammar-Discourse Interface: Discourse markers and discourse-related grammatical phenomena
Edited by Alexander Haselow and Sylvie Hancil
[Studies in Language Companion Series 219] 2021
► pp. 23–56
Chapter 1On the rise of discourse markers
Published online: 3 June 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.219.01hei
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.219.01hei
Abstract
Discourse markers exhibit a range of grammatical
properties that set them apart from many other lexical and
grammatical forms. A number of hypotheses have been proposed to
account for these properties. Most commonly, such accounts have
drawn on grammaticalization theory, less commonly also on the notion
of pragmaticalization. As argued in this paper, however, the rise of
discourse markers cannot be described exhaustively in terms of
parameters of grammaticalization or pragmaticalization. Looking at
the rise of two English and one French discourse marker, the paper
argues that this development is also shaped by a general strategy of
discourse processing called cooptation, which accounts for
properties of discourse markers that are beyond the scope of
grammaticalization theory. Thus, discourse markers are described
best as grammaticalized (paren)theticals.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 1.1The present paper
- 1.2Discourse marker, grammaticalization, and cooptation
- 1.3Conclusions
- 2.The marker I admit
- 2.1Introduction
- 2.2Reconstruction
- 2.3Cooptation
- 3.The marker if you will
- 3.1Grammaticalization
- 3.2On constituent anchored if you will
- 4.The French marker alors
- 5.Discussion
- 5.1Problems
- 5.2Instantaneous vs. gradual change
- 5.3Alternative views
- 6.Conclusions
Acknowledgements Notes References
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