The pragmatic use of ‘sort of’ in TV forums
A Chinese perspective
This study discusses the pragmatic functions of four Chinese equivalents of the English ‘sort of’ based on a
Chinese TV forum corpus: youdian (有点),
yidian (一点),
youyidian (有一点),
keyishuo (可以说). It finds that the
Chinese ‘sort of’ tends to cluster with verbs or adjectives rather than nouns. ‘Sort of’ is infrequent in the formal setting of
this study and serves three pragmatic functions: mitigation, approximation and evasion, with the first two functions being much
more frequent than the last one. ‘Sort of’ performs more of an interpersonal than an informational function. This study highlights
the elasticity of ‘sort of’ in Mandarin Chinese in the form of fluidity, stretchability and strategy, contributing a fresh account
of pragmatic markers. This study implies that elastic language use is a natural part of linguistic competence (particularly
pragmatic competence) and forms a strong bond with effective linguistic communication.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Theoretical foundations
- 2.1A hedge for downtoning
- 2.2A promotor for in-groupness
- 2.3An indicator of an informal discourse
- 3.Methodology
- 4.Frequencies
- 5.Functions
- 5.1Mitigation
- 5.2Approximation
- 5.3Evasion
- 5.4Multi-functional cases
- 6.Discussion
- 6.1Elasticity of ‘sort of’
- 6.2Interpersonal vs. informational
- 6.3Cross-linguistic comparison
- 7.Conclusions and implications
- Notes
-
References
References (52)
References
Adolphs, S., Atkins, S., & Harvey, K. (2007). Caught between professional requirements and interpersonal needs: Vague language in healthcare contexts. In J. Cutting (Ed.), Vague Language Explored (pp. 62–78). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Aijmer, K. (1984). ‘Sort of’ and ‘kind of’ in English conversation. Studia Linguistica, 38(2), 118–128. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Andersen, G. (2000). Pragmatic markers and sociolinguistic variation: A relevance-theoretic approach to the language of adolescents. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Beeching, K. (2016). Pragmatic markers in British English: Meaning in social interaction. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Berndt, R. S., & Caramazza, A. (1978). The development of vague modifiers in the language of pre-school children. Journal of Child Language, 5(2), 279–294. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Biber, D. (1988). Variation across speech and writing. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bolinger, D. (1972). Degree Words. The Hague, The Netherlands: De Gruyter Mouton. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Brown, P., & Levinson, S. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Channell, J. (1994). Vague language. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Chen, C. H., & Zhang, L. J. (2017). An intercultural analysis of the use of hedging by Chinese and Anglophone academic English writers. Applied Linguistics Review, 8(1), 1–34. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cheng, W., & O’Keeffe, A. (2014). Vagueness. In C. Rühlemann & K. Aijmer (Eds.), Corpus pragmatics: A handbook (pp. 360–378). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Crompton, P. (1997). Hedging in academic writing: Some theoretical problems. English for Specific Purposes, 16(4), 271–287. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Crystal, D., & Davy, D. (1975). Advanced conversational English. London, UK: Longman.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cutting, J. (Ed.). (2007). Vague language explored. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Eisenberg, E. M. (1984). Ambiguity as a strategy in organizational communication. Communication Monographs, 511, 227–242. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fetzer, A. (2009). Sort of and kind of in political discourse: Hedge, head of NP or contextualization cue? In A. H. Jucker, D. Schreier, & M. Hundt (Eds.), Corpora: Pragmatics and discourse (pp. 127–149). Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fetzer, A. (2010). Hedges in context: Form and function of sort of and kind of. In G. Kaltenböck, W. Mihatsch, & S. Schneider (Eds.), New approaches to hedging (pp. 49–71). Bingley, UK: Emerald. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fraser, B. (2010). Pragmatic competence: The case of hedging. In G. Kaltenböck, W. Mihatsch & S. Schneider (Eds.), New approaches to hedging (pp. 15–34). Bingley, UK: Emerald. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fung, L., & Carter, R. (2007). Discourse markers and spoken English: Native and learner use in pedagogic settings. Applied Linguistics, 28(3), 410–439. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Glinert, L. (2010). Apologizing to China: Elastic apologies and the meta-discourse of American diplomats. Intercultural Pragmatics, 7(1), 47–74. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Holmes, J. (1986). Functions of ‘you know’ in women’s and men’s speech. Language in Society, 151, 1–22. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Holmes, J. (1988).
‘Sort of’ in New Zealand women’s and men’s speech. Studia Linguistica, 42(2), 85–121. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Holmes, J. (1993). New Zealand women are good to talk to: An analysis of politeness strategies in interaction. Journal of pragmatics, 20(2), 91–116. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hyland, K. (2016). Teaching and researching writing. New York. USA: Routledge.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Jucker, A. H., Smith, S. W., & Lüdge, T. (2003). Interactive aspects of vagueness in conversation. Journal of Pragmatics, 35(12), 1737–1769. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kaltenböck, G. (2010). Pragmatic functions of parenthetical I think
. In G. Kaltenböck, W. Mihatsch, & S. Schneider (Eds.), New approaches to hedging (pp. 237–266). Bingley, UK: Emerald. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kay, P. (1984). The kind of/sort of construction. Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society, 101, 157–171. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lakoff, G. (1973). Hedges: A study in meaning criteria and the logic of fuzzy concepts. Journal of Philosophical Logic, 21, 458–508. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lin, C. Y. (2010). ‘… that’s actually ‘sort of’ you know trying to get consultants in… ’: Functions and multifunctionality of modifiers in academic lectures. Journal of Pragmatics, 42(5), 1173–1183. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lin, Y. L. (2013). Vague language and interpersonal communication: An analysis of adolescent intercultural conversation. International Journal of Society, Culture & Language, 1(2), 69–81.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Martin-Martin, P. (2008). The mitigation of scientific claims in research papers: A comparative study. International Journal of English Studies, 81, 133–152.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Meyerhoff, M. (1986). The kind of women who put ‘-ish’ behind everything and ‘sort of’ in front of it – a study of sex differences in New Zealand English. Unpublished M. A. thesis, Victoria University of Wellington.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Miskovic-Lukovic, M. (2009). Is there a chance that I might kinda ‘sort of’ take you to dinner?: The role of the pragmatic particles ‘kind of’ and ‘sort of’ in utterance interpretation. Journal of Pragmatics, 41(3), 602–625. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Munné, F. (2013). The fuzzy complexity of language. In A. Massip-Bonet & A. Bastardas-Boada (Eds.), Complexity perspectives on language, communication and society (pp. 175–196). Heidelberg: Springer. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nikula, T. (1996). Pragmatic force modifiers: A study in interlanguage pragmatics. Jyvaskyla, Finland: University of Jyvaskyla.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Parvaresh, V. (2018). ‘We are going to do a lot of things for college tuition’: Vague language in the 2016 U.S. presidential debates. Corpus Pragmatics, 21, 167–192. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Parvaresh, V., & Ahmadian, M. J. (2016). The impact of task structure on the use of vague expressions by EFL learners. The Language Learning Journal, 41, 436–450. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Prince, E. F., Frader, J., & Bosk, C. (1982). On hedging in physician-physician discourse. In J. R. Di Pietro (Ed.), Linguistics and the professions (pp. 83–97). New Jersey, USA: Ablex.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ruzaitė, J. (2007). Vague language in educational settings: Quantifiers and approximators in British and American English. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ryoo, H. K. (2005). Achieving friendly interactions: A study of service encounters between Korean shopkeepers and African-American customers. Discourse and Society, 16 (1), 79–105. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sabet, P., & Zhang, G. (2015). Communicating through vague language: A comparison of L1 and L2 speakers. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Stubbe, M., & Holmes, J. (1995). You know, eh and other ‘exasperating expressions’: An analysis of social and stylistic variation in the use of pragmatic devices in a sample of New Zealand English. Language and Communication, 15(1), 63–88. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Yamada, H. (1997). Different games, different rules. New York, USA: Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Zhang, G. (2011). Elasticity of vague language. Intercultural Pragmatics, 8(4), 571–599. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Zhang, G. (2015). Elastic language: How and why we stretch our words. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Zhao, X. H., & Zhang, G. (2012). Negotiating with vague language: A Chinese perspective. Beijing, China: China Social Sciences Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by (1)
Cited by one other publication
Zhang, Grace & Vahid Parvaresh
2019.
Elastic Language in the Chinese Data. In
Elastic Language in Persuasion and Comforting,
► pp. 83 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 4 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.