Discourse Markers

by Deborah Schiffrin

Overview

Discourse markers—the particles oh, well, now, then, you know, and I mean, and the connectives so, because, and, but, and or —perform important functions in conversation and call for the rigorous analysis this study provides. Schiffrin's approach is interdisciplinary, within linguistics and sociology, and demonstrates that markers and the conversations in which they function can only be properly understood as an integration of structural, semantic, pragmatic, and social factors. The core of this book is a comparative analysis of markers within conversational discourse collected by Dr. Schiffrin during sociolinguistic fieldwork. The study raises a wide range of theoretical and methodological issues, and the insights it offers will be of great value to readers confronting the very substantial problem presented by the search for an adequate model of discourse.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521357180
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/26/1988
Series:	Studies in Interactional Sociolinguistics , #5
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.02(w) x 8.98(h) x 1.18(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; Intonation and transcription conventions; 1. Background: what is discourse?; 2. Prelude to analysis: definitions and data; 3. Questions: why analyze discourse markers?; 4. Oh: marker of information management; 5. Well: marker of response; 6. Discourse connectives: and, but, or; 7. So and because: markers of cause and result; 8. Temporal adverbs: now and then; 9. Information and participation: y'know and I mean; 10. Discourse markers: contextual coordinates of talk; Notes; References; Author index; Subject index.