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Chapter 7. Italian non-canonical negations as modal particles

Information state, polarity and mirativity
  • Mario Squartini
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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 will focus on the role of information state as a major factor in the development of modal particles derived from negative minimizers. By capitalizing on previous research on Romance non-canonical negations (see especially Schwenter 2003, 2005, 2006), the analysis will describe the special discursive function of the Italian negative operator mica (etym. ‘crumb’) in direct questions, where the textual dynamics ‘given’ vs. ‘new’ interacts with the speaker’s mirative reactions. The occurrence of distinct regional patterns in the use of mica in direct questions indicates different combinations of polarity with the mirative role of the speaker, who, apart from managing information flow, also reacts to unexpected information by matching previous knowledge with new information acquired in discourse.

Abstract

This chapter will focus on the role of information state as a major factor in the development of modal particles derived from negative minimizers. By capitalizing on previous research on Romance non-canonical negations (see especially Schwenter 2003, 2005, 2006), the analysis will describe the special discursive function of the Italian negative operator mica (etym. ‘crumb’) in direct questions, where the textual dynamics ‘given’ vs. ‘new’ interacts with the speaker’s mirative reactions. The occurrence of distinct regional patterns in the use of mica in direct questions indicates different combinations of polarity with the mirative role of the speaker, who, apart from managing information flow, also reacts to unexpected information by matching previous knowledge with new information acquired in discourse.

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.186.08squ

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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