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Chapter 2. Towards a model for discourse marker annotation

From potential to feature-based discourse markers
  • Catherine T. Bolly , Ludivine Crible , Liesbeth Degand and Deniz Uygur-Distexhe
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Pragmatic Markers, Discourse Markers and Modal Particles
This chapter is in the book Pragmatic Markers, Discourse Markers and Modal Particles

Abstract

This chapter presents an empirical method for the identification and annotation of discourse markers (DMs) in in spontaneous spoken French (MDMA project). Central to the proposal is the assumption that DMs may be described as clusters of features that, in specific patterns of combination, allow to distinguish DM use from other linguistic items fulfilling a non-propositional function, such as modal particles or pragmatic markers. The hypothesis underlying the annotation experiment is that the analysis of the distributional constraints imposed on specific markers should uncover reliable features for the identification and categorization of DMs. Multivariate statistics suggest a certain hierarchy between the different features under scrutiny, regarding their relevance and reliability, in the process of identifying DMs in context.

Abstract

This chapter presents an empirical method for the identification and annotation of discourse markers (DMs) in in spontaneous spoken French (MDMA project). Central to the proposal is the assumption that DMs may be described as clusters of features that, in specific patterns of combination, allow to distinguish DM use from other linguistic items fulfilling a non-propositional function, such as modal particles or pragmatic markers. The hypothesis underlying the annotation experiment is that the analysis of the distributional constraints imposed on specific markers should uncover reliable features for the identification and categorization of DMs. Multivariate statistics suggest a certain hierarchy between the different features under scrutiny, regarding their relevance and reliability, in the process of identifying DMs in context.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface ix
  4. Introduction. Pragmatic Markers, Discourse Markers and Modal Particles 1
  5. Part 1. General theoretical questions and quantitative approaches
  6. Chapter 1. The emergence of Hebrew loydea / loydat (‘I dunno masc/fem ’) from interaction 37
  7. Chapter 2. Towards a model for discourse marker annotation 71
  8. Chapter 3. Towards an operational category of discourse markers 99
  9. Chapter 4. A corpus-based approach to functional markers in Greek 125
  10. Chapter 5. Discourse markers and discourse relations 151
  11. Part 2. The status of modal particles
  12. Chapter 6. Modal particles and Verum focus 171
  13. Chapter 7. Italian non-canonical negations as modal particles 203
  14. Chapter 8. A format for the description of German modal particles and their functional equivalents in Croatian and English 229
  15. Part 3. Language-specific and diachronic studies
  16. Chapter 9. Vocatives as a source category for pragmatic markers 257
  17. Chapter 10. Paths of development of English DMs 289
  18. Chapter 11. Grammaticalization of PMs/DMs/MMs in Japanese 305
  19. Chapter 12. Dubitative-corrective constructions in Italian 335
  20. Chapter 13. On the pragmatic expansion of Polish gdzieś tam ‘somewhere (there)/about’ 369
  21. Chapter 14. A pragmatic approach to Joseph Wright’s English Dialect Dictionary 399
  22. Part 4. Language contact and variation
  23. Chapter 15. Italian discourse markers and modal particles in contact 417
  24. Chapter 16. Functional markers in llanito code-switching 439
  25. Chapter 17. Just a suggestion 459
  26. Author index 481
  27. Language index 487
  28. Subject index 489
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.186.03bol

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface ix
  4. Introduction. Pragmatic Markers, Discourse Markers and Modal Particles 1
  5. Part 1. General theoretical questions and quantitative approaches
  6. Chapter 1. The emergence of Hebrew loydea / loydat (‘I dunno masc/fem ’) from interaction 37
  7. Chapter 2. Towards a model for discourse marker annotation 71
  8. Chapter 3. Towards an operational category of discourse markers 99
  9. Chapter 4. A corpus-based approach to functional markers in Greek 125
  10. Chapter 5. Discourse markers and discourse relations 151
  11. Part 2. The status of modal particles
  12. Chapter 6. Modal particles and Verum focus 171
  13. Chapter 7. Italian non-canonical negations as modal particles 203
  14. Chapter 8. A format for the description of German modal particles and their functional equivalents in Croatian and English 229
  15. Part 3. Language-specific and diachronic studies
  16. Chapter 9. Vocatives as a source category for pragmatic markers 257
  17. Chapter 10. Paths of development of English DMs 289
  18. Chapter 11. Grammaticalization of PMs/DMs/MMs in Japanese 305
  19. Chapter 12. Dubitative-corrective constructions in Italian 335
  20. Chapter 13. On the pragmatic expansion of Polish gdzieś tam ‘somewhere (there)/about’ 369
  21. Chapter 14. A pragmatic approach to Joseph Wright’s English Dialect Dictionary 399
  22. Part 4. Language contact and variation
  23. Chapter 15. Italian discourse markers and modal particles in contact 417
  24. Chapter 16. Functional markers in llanito code-switching 439
  25. Chapter 17. Just a suggestion 459
  26. Author index 481
  27. Language index 487
  28. Subject index 489
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