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Chapter 9. On pragma-semantics of expressives

Between words and actions
  • Suren Zolyan
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Studies at the Grammar-Discourse Interface
This chapter is in the book Studies at the Grammar-Discourse Interface

Abstract

Expressives can be understood as: (1) a manifestation of speaker’s emotional or affective attitudes; (2) a peculiar type of performatives; (3) a linguistic entity expressing or displaying what is the case. The third conception is taken as the basic one; we attempt to develop it, taking into account Bühler’s representational theory of language and the theory of performatives (Austin, Searle). Expressives are closely connected with behavioral patterns, situations, and actions. An actualization of verbal behavior (a performative component of expressives) meets its counterpart in the verbalization of action (a descriptive component). We suggest to describe pragma-semantics of expressives as based on prototypical behavioural frames.

Abstract

Expressives can be understood as: (1) a manifestation of speaker’s emotional or affective attitudes; (2) a peculiar type of performatives; (3) a linguistic entity expressing or displaying what is the case. The third conception is taken as the basic one; we attempt to develop it, taking into account Bühler’s representational theory of language and the theory of performatives (Austin, Searle). Expressives are closely connected with behavioral patterns, situations, and actions. An actualization of verbal behavior (a performative component of expressives) meets its counterpart in the verbalization of action (a descriptive component). We suggest to describe pragma-semantics of expressives as based on prototypical behavioural frames.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Grammar, discourse, and the grammar-discourse interface 1
  4. Part I. Discourse markers
  5. Chapter 1. On the rise of discourse markers 23
  6. Chapter 2. On the pragmatic development of modal particles in Navarrese-Lapurdian Basque 57
  7. Chapter 3. On divergent paths and functions of ‘background’-based discourse markers in Korean 77
  8. Chapter 4. Reanalysis and the emergence of adverbial connectors in the history of Japanese 101
  9. Part II. Discourse markers
  10. Chapter 5. The meaning and functions of French je pense (que) 127
  11. Chapter 6. Discourse markers and brain lateralization 157
  12. Chapter 7. Vietnamese expletive between grammatical subject and subjectivity marker 195
  13. Chapter 8. The final particle like in Northern English 229
  14. Chapter 9. On pragma-semantics of expressives 245
  15. Part III. Discourse-related grammatical phenomena
  16. Chapter 10. A just amazing marker in French: “Juste” 275
  17. Chapter 11. On how the distinction between reciprocal and collective verbs affects (anti-)control 299
  18. Chapter 12. The rise of cause/reason adverbial markers in Yaqui (Uto-Aztecan) 313
  19. Index 353
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.219.09zol

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Grammar, discourse, and the grammar-discourse interface 1
  4. Part I. Discourse markers
  5. Chapter 1. On the rise of discourse markers 23
  6. Chapter 2. On the pragmatic development of modal particles in Navarrese-Lapurdian Basque 57
  7. Chapter 3. On divergent paths and functions of ‘background’-based discourse markers in Korean 77
  8. Chapter 4. Reanalysis and the emergence of adverbial connectors in the history of Japanese 101
  9. Part II. Discourse markers
  10. Chapter 5. The meaning and functions of French je pense (que) 127
  11. Chapter 6. Discourse markers and brain lateralization 157
  12. Chapter 7. Vietnamese expletive between grammatical subject and subjectivity marker 195
  13. Chapter 8. The final particle like in Northern English 229
  14. Chapter 9. On pragma-semantics of expressives 245
  15. Part III. Discourse-related grammatical phenomena
  16. Chapter 10. A just amazing marker in French: “Juste” 275
  17. Chapter 11. On how the distinction between reciprocal and collective verbs affects (anti-)control 299
  18. Chapter 12. The rise of cause/reason adverbial markers in Yaqui (Uto-Aztecan) 313
  19. Index 353
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