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Thetic speaker-instantiating quotative indexes as a cross-linguistic type

  • Tom Güldemann
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Quotatives
This chapter is in the book Quotatives

Abstract

Quotative indexes often do not simply encode a speech event but turn out to be grammatical constructions with the dual function of referring to a state of affairs and of orienting the audience to the presence of reported discourse. A still poorly-analyzed quotative strategy without overt reference to a speech event is the use of thetic non-verbal identificational and presentational clauses that focus on the identity of the speaker as the source of the reported discourse. With data that are diverse in terms of geography, genealogical affiliation and diachronic dimension, the article will on the one hand demonstrate that this pattern is cross-linguistically recurrent, and thus robust as a type, and on the other hand aims to explore the special morphosyntactic and functional nature of this subtype of quotative index.

Abstract

Quotative indexes often do not simply encode a speech event but turn out to be grammatical constructions with the dual function of referring to a state of affairs and of orienting the audience to the presence of reported discourse. A still poorly-analyzed quotative strategy without overt reference to a speech event is the use of thetic non-verbal identificational and presentational clauses that focus on the identity of the speaker as the source of the reported discourse. With data that are diverse in terms of geography, genealogical affiliation and diachronic dimension, the article will on the one hand demonstrate that this pattern is cross-linguistically recurrent, and thus robust as a type, and on the other hand aims to explore the special morphosyntactic and functional nature of this subtype of quotative index.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Authors’ biographies vii
  4. Preface: Introductory remarks on new and old quotatives xi
  5. Part I. Discourse perspectives
  6. Impersonal quotation and hypothetical discourse 3
  7. By three means 37
  8. Part II. Typological perspectives
  9. Minds divided 71
  10. Thetic speaker-instantiating quotative indexes as a cross-linguistic type 117
  11. Part III. Functional and formal perspectives
  12. On the characteristics of Japanese reported discourse 145
  13. Quotative go and be like 173
  14. Quotation in sign languages 203
  15. Part IV. Language variation and change
  16. Performed narrative 231
  17. Dutch quotative van 259
  18. Glossary of specialist terms for research in quotation 281
  19. Author index 291
  20. Index of terms 293
https://doi.org/10.1075/celcr.15.08gul

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Authors’ biographies vii
  4. Preface: Introductory remarks on new and old quotatives xi
  5. Part I. Discourse perspectives
  6. Impersonal quotation and hypothetical discourse 3
  7. By three means 37
  8. Part II. Typological perspectives
  9. Minds divided 71
  10. Thetic speaker-instantiating quotative indexes as a cross-linguistic type 117
  11. Part III. Functional and formal perspectives
  12. On the characteristics of Japanese reported discourse 145
  13. Quotative go and be like 173
  14. Quotation in sign languages 203
  15. Part IV. Language variation and change
  16. Performed narrative 231
  17. Dutch quotative van 259
  18. Glossary of specialist terms for research in quotation 281
  19. Author index 291
  20. Index of terms 293
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