Chapter 8
Discourse particles in thetic judgments, in dependent sentences,
and in non-finite phrases
I survey the discourse effects and conditions of
selection of the German modal (discourse) particles on the basis of
different questions that have always been in the focus of analytical
descriptions (cf. Whitt
2015), which, however, can be formulated more clearly
today. Special attention will be paid to the dimension of the Common Ground that mediates between the prior context and the current
utterance or speaker and addressee and, depending on the individual
modal particle morpheme, allows for negotiation of the question
under discussion. Special focus is laid on the restrictions under
which modal particles appear in dependent sentences.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction: Waltereit’s objection
- 2.Modal particles in subordinate clauses
- 3.MP in specific subordinate sentences
- 4.Prosody as MP-selector
- 5.MP-immobility
- 6.MP in nonfinite constructions: Clause syntax or speech act felicity?
- 7.MP and scene-setting
- 8.Generalizations
- 9.Discourse particle or modal particle?
- 10.MP as CG-manipulators
- 11.CG and speech act requirements for individual MPs
- 12.About-topic
- 13.Conclusion: Do you speak an epistemic or an MP-language?
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Notes
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References