Nominal reference and the dynamics of discourse
-
Kristin Davidse
Abstract
In this paper I will address what appear to be some important gaps in the traditional approach to nominal reference as a cohesion-creating resource: (i) ignoring of relations other than co-referentiality, such as those expressed by quantifying determiners, (ii) neglect of the contribution made by type specifications to the reference function; (iii) restriction of the type specifications to those lexically predicated by the NP itself, (iv) discounting of the cumulative build-up of information relating to referential sets and referent classification in the mind of the reader. In the first half of the article, I survey the cognitive instructions given by the main determiner types of NPs: definite versus indefinite identifiers, and relative versus absolute quantifiers. In the second half of the article I develop and illustrate an alternative analysis of discourse referents that does take into account elements (i) to (iv).
Abstract
In this paper I will address what appear to be some important gaps in the traditional approach to nominal reference as a cohesion-creating resource: (i) ignoring of relations other than co-referentiality, such as those expressed by quantifying determiners, (ii) neglect of the contribution made by type specifications to the reference function; (iii) restriction of the type specifications to those lexically predicated by the NP itself, (iv) discounting of the cumulative build-up of information relating to referential sets and referent classification in the mind of the reader. In the first half of the article, I survey the cognitive instructions given by the main determiner types of NPs: definite versus indefinite identifiers, and relative versus absolute quantifiers. In the second half of the article I develop and illustrate an alternative analysis of discourse referents that does take into account elements (i) to (iv).
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
-
Introduction
- On the relatedness of functionalism and pragmatics 1
-
I. Methods in the analysis of language and discourse
- Developing comprehensive criteria of adequacy 19
- A method of analysing recontextualisation in the communication of science 37
- Contrastive corpus annotation in the CONTRANOT project 57
- Form and function in evaluative language 87
- Life before Nation 111
-
II. Pragmatics and grammar
- A lexico-paradigmatic approach to English setting-constructions 133
- How did we think? 149
- The adverb truly in Present-Day English 169
-
III. Current trends in pragmatics and discourse analysis
- Nominal reference and the dynamics of discourse 189
- ‘Pragmatic punting’ and prosody 209
- Besides as a connective 223
- Searle and Sinclair on communicative acts 243
- Strategies of (in)directness in Spanish speakers’ production of complaints and disagreements in English and Spanish 261
- Name index 285
- Term index 289
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
-
Introduction
- On the relatedness of functionalism and pragmatics 1
-
I. Methods in the analysis of language and discourse
- Developing comprehensive criteria of adequacy 19
- A method of analysing recontextualisation in the communication of science 37
- Contrastive corpus annotation in the CONTRANOT project 57
- Form and function in evaluative language 87
- Life before Nation 111
-
II. Pragmatics and grammar
- A lexico-paradigmatic approach to English setting-constructions 133
- How did we think? 149
- The adverb truly in Present-Day English 169
-
III. Current trends in pragmatics and discourse analysis
- Nominal reference and the dynamics of discourse 189
- ‘Pragmatic punting’ and prosody 209
- Besides as a connective 223
- Searle and Sinclair on communicative acts 243
- Strategies of (in)directness in Spanish speakers’ production of complaints and disagreements in English and Spanish 261
- Name index 285
- Term index 289
