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Chapter 14. What does reduplication intensify?

The semantics and pragmatics of reduplicated forms in Italian and their equivalents in German
  • Silvia Bonacchi
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Exploring Intensification
This chapter is in the book Exploring Intensification

Abstract

In the present paper, the semantics of reduplication forms in Italian is analyzed on the basis of their intensifying pragmatic functions in regard to their base-forms (duration, graduation, modulation, disambiguation, accreditation of speaker, appeal to hearer) and to their “embodied” character (evoking gestuality and suprasegmentality) and compared with their possible equivalents in German. Reduplicative forms in Italian not only modify the truth-conditional value of verbal units – in the direction of a quantitative or qualitative intensification –; furthermore they express a new use-conditional (pragmatic) meaning. Reduplication is, in face-to-face-communication, therefore to be considered an important instrument of emotive communication (as strategic and intentional conveying of emotional information about feelings and attitudes towards things, events, interlocutors), used in specific contexts to express an affective register. Its main function is the modulation of affective intensity and the evocation of conversational and emotional (affective) implicatures. Instead of reduplicated forms, German uses other language resources which produce use-conditional (pragmatic) meanings: intensifiers, intensifying prefixes, modal particles, adverbs, verbal forms.

Abstract

In the present paper, the semantics of reduplication forms in Italian is analyzed on the basis of their intensifying pragmatic functions in regard to their base-forms (duration, graduation, modulation, disambiguation, accreditation of speaker, appeal to hearer) and to their “embodied” character (evoking gestuality and suprasegmentality) and compared with their possible equivalents in German. Reduplicative forms in Italian not only modify the truth-conditional value of verbal units – in the direction of a quantitative or qualitative intensification –; furthermore they express a new use-conditional (pragmatic) meaning. Reduplication is, in face-to-face-communication, therefore to be considered an important instrument of emotive communication (as strategic and intentional conveying of emotional information about feelings and attitudes towards things, events, interlocutors), used in specific contexts to express an affective register. Its main function is the modulation of affective intensity and the evocation of conversational and emotional (affective) implicatures. Instead of reduplicated forms, German uses other language resources which produce use-conditional (pragmatic) meanings: intensifiers, intensifying prefixes, modal particles, adverbs, verbal forms.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. New insights on intensification and intensifiers 1
  4. Part I. The category of intensification
  5. Chapter 1. The comparative basis of intensification 15
  6. Chapter 2. Intensification and focusing 33
  7. Chapter 3. Intensification processes in Italian 55
  8. Chapter 4. Noun classification in Kiswahili 79
  9. Part II. Strategies of intensification in ancient languages: Hittite, Greek and Latin
  10. Chapter 5. Intensification and intensifying modification in Hittite 101
  11. Chapter 6. Diminutives in Ancient Greek 127
  12. Chapter 7. Nulla sum, nulla sum: Tota, tota occidi 147
  13. Part III. Strategies of intensification in modern languages: Italian, German, English
  14. Chapter 8. Intensifiers between grammar and pragmatics 173
  15. Chapter 9. Stress and tones as intensifying operators in German 193
  16. Chapter 10. English exclamative clauses and interrogative degree modification 207
  17. Part IV. Contrastive analysis of intensification in Italian and German
  18. Chapter 11. A pragmatic view on intensification 231
  19. Chapter 12. Intensifying structures of adjectives across German and Italian 251
  20. Chapter 13. The coordination of identical conjuncts as a means of strengthening expressions in German and Italian 265
  21. Chapter 14. What does reduplication intensify? 289
  22. Chapter 15. Intensification strategies in German and Italian written language 305
  23. Chapter 16. Ways to intensify 327
  24. Chapter 17. Augmentatives in Italian and German 353
  25. Chapter 18. Intentional vagueness 371
  26. Index 391
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.189.15bon

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. New insights on intensification and intensifiers 1
  4. Part I. The category of intensification
  5. Chapter 1. The comparative basis of intensification 15
  6. Chapter 2. Intensification and focusing 33
  7. Chapter 3. Intensification processes in Italian 55
  8. Chapter 4. Noun classification in Kiswahili 79
  9. Part II. Strategies of intensification in ancient languages: Hittite, Greek and Latin
  10. Chapter 5. Intensification and intensifying modification in Hittite 101
  11. Chapter 6. Diminutives in Ancient Greek 127
  12. Chapter 7. Nulla sum, nulla sum: Tota, tota occidi 147
  13. Part III. Strategies of intensification in modern languages: Italian, German, English
  14. Chapter 8. Intensifiers between grammar and pragmatics 173
  15. Chapter 9. Stress and tones as intensifying operators in German 193
  16. Chapter 10. English exclamative clauses and interrogative degree modification 207
  17. Part IV. Contrastive analysis of intensification in Italian and German
  18. Chapter 11. A pragmatic view on intensification 231
  19. Chapter 12. Intensifying structures of adjectives across German and Italian 251
  20. Chapter 13. The coordination of identical conjuncts as a means of strengthening expressions in German and Italian 265
  21. Chapter 14. What does reduplication intensify? 289
  22. Chapter 15. Intensification strategies in German and Italian written language 305
  23. Chapter 16. Ways to intensify 327
  24. Chapter 17. Augmentatives in Italian and German 353
  25. Chapter 18. Intentional vagueness 371
  26. Index 391
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