Corpus linguistics and pragmatics
-
Christoph Rühlemann
Abstract
Pragmatics and corpus linguistics were long considered mutually exclusive. In recent years, however, common ground has been discovered thus paving the way for the new field of corpus pragmatics. This chapter shows that corpus pragmatics integrates the qualitative methodology typical of pragmatics with the quantitative methodology predominant in corpus linguistics. To illustrate, we examine the choice between indicative was and subjunctive were in as-if clauses in the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). The findings suggest that the choice is co-determined by the factuality of the comparison expressed in the as-if clause and the syntactic functions of the as-if clause in the matrix clause. We finally discuss the was/were alternation as a form of negative empathetic deixis.
Abstract
Pragmatics and corpus linguistics were long considered mutually exclusive. In recent years, however, common ground has been discovered thus paving the way for the new field of corpus pragmatics. This chapter shows that corpus pragmatics integrates the qualitative methodology typical of pragmatics with the quantitative methodology predominant in corpus linguistics. To illustrate, we examine the choice between indicative was and subjunctive were in as-if clauses in the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). The findings suggest that the choice is co-determined by the factuality of the comparison expressed in the as-if clause and the syntactic functions of the as-if clause in the matrix clause. We finally discuss the was/were alternation as a form of negative empathetic deixis.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Sociolinguistics vs pragmatics 11
- Discourse pragmatics 33
- The interface between pragmatics and conversation analysis 59
- Pragmatics vs rhetoric 85
- Narrative studies versus pragmatics (of narrative) 121
- Translation studies and pragmatics 143
- The interface between pragmatics and gesture studies 163
- Pragmatics and anthropology 185
- Integrative pragmatics and (im)politeness theory 213
- Corpus linguistics and pragmatics 241
- The interface between pragmatics and internet-mediated communication 267
- Pragmatics, humor studies, and the study of interaction 291
- Index 311
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Sociolinguistics vs pragmatics 11
- Discourse pragmatics 33
- The interface between pragmatics and conversation analysis 59
- Pragmatics vs rhetoric 85
- Narrative studies versus pragmatics (of narrative) 121
- Translation studies and pragmatics 143
- The interface between pragmatics and gesture studies 163
- Pragmatics and anthropology 185
- Integrative pragmatics and (im)politeness theory 213
- Corpus linguistics and pragmatics 241
- The interface between pragmatics and internet-mediated communication 267
- Pragmatics, humor studies, and the study of interaction 291
- Index 311
