Chapter 5. The German modal particle ja and selected English lexical correlates in the Europarl corpus
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Volker Gast
Abstract
This study deals with lexical correlates of the German modal particle ja in English, using data from the Europarl corpus for illustration. The central question addressed is whether, or to what extent, English has expressions that are functionally equivalent to ja. A graph-based model for the analysis and comparison of linguistic expressions used for discourse management is proposed, and five typical lexical correlates of ja found in English speeches are analysed in terms of this model: as you know, after all, of course, in fact and indeed. The question of equivalence with ja is addressed in each case and a number of descriptive generalizations are made concerning the conditions under which these expressions are found in English translations of German sentences with ja. It is argued that there is a categorical difference in the use conditions of ja and the English expressions under study: While ja is never used to (newly) establish a speaker’s commitment to the truth of a proposition, or any type of consensus, as it requires propositions to be ratified or uncontroversial at the time an utterance is made, all of the English expressions under study can be used in sentences establishing some type of epistemic commitment or consensus. At a general level, the conclusion is that none of the English expressions in question is functionally equivalent to ja, even though – under specific circumstances – they may have similar communicative effects.
Abstract
This study deals with lexical correlates of the German modal particle ja in English, using data from the Europarl corpus for illustration. The central question addressed is whether, or to what extent, English has expressions that are functionally equivalent to ja. A graph-based model for the analysis and comparison of linguistic expressions used for discourse management is proposed, and five typical lexical correlates of ja found in English speeches are analysed in terms of this model: as you know, after all, of course, in fact and indeed. The question of equivalence with ja is addressed in each case and a number of descriptive generalizations are made concerning the conditions under which these expressions are found in English translations of German sentences with ja. It is argued that there is a categorical difference in the use conditions of ja and the English expressions under study: While ja is never used to (newly) establish a speaker’s commitment to the truth of a proposition, or any type of consensus, as it requires propositions to be ratified or uncontroversial at the time an utterance is made, all of the English expressions under study can be used in sentences establishing some type of epistemic commitment or consensus. At a general level, the conclusion is that none of the English expressions in question is functionally equivalent to ja, even though – under specific circumstances – they may have similar communicative effects.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Particles 1
- Chapter 2. From up-toning intensifying particle to scalar focus particle 25
- Chapter 3. Do intensifiers lose their expressive force over time? 69
- Chapter 4. The interpretation of the German additive particle auch (‘too, also’) in quantificational contexts 95
- Chapter 5. The German modal particle ja and selected English lexical correlates in the Europarl corpus 117
- Chapter 6. Syntactic change and pragmatic maintenance 147
- Chapter 7. Final though 177
- Chapter 8. A comparative study of German auch and Italian anche 209
- Chapter 9. Scalarity as a meaning atom in wohl -type particles 243
- Chapter 10. Modal particles in questions and wh -sensitivity 269
- Chapter 11. PP-internal particles in Dutch as evidence for PP-internal discourse structure 297
- Chapter 12. Mandarin exhaustive focus shì and the syntax of discourse congruence 323
- Chapter 13. Evidentiality and the QUD 355
- Index 381
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Particles 1
- Chapter 2. From up-toning intensifying particle to scalar focus particle 25
- Chapter 3. Do intensifiers lose their expressive force over time? 69
- Chapter 4. The interpretation of the German additive particle auch (‘too, also’) in quantificational contexts 95
- Chapter 5. The German modal particle ja and selected English lexical correlates in the Europarl corpus 117
- Chapter 6. Syntactic change and pragmatic maintenance 147
- Chapter 7. Final though 177
- Chapter 8. A comparative study of German auch and Italian anche 209
- Chapter 9. Scalarity as a meaning atom in wohl -type particles 243
- Chapter 10. Modal particles in questions and wh -sensitivity 269
- Chapter 11. PP-internal particles in Dutch as evidence for PP-internal discourse structure 297
- Chapter 12. Mandarin exhaustive focus shì and the syntax of discourse congruence 323
- Chapter 13. Evidentiality and the QUD 355
- Index 381
