This paper will deal with the English lexical item 'now' and its German counterpart 'nun'. Its aim is to investigate what functions they can perform in spoken discourse classified as conversation, casting light on the ways they can be used to indicate discourse structures, and to work out similarities and differences between these equivalents from the two languages. This work will focus on 'now' and 'nun' as discourse markers, but will not ignore their original (propositional) meaning and – if applicable – non-propositional meanings besides their function as discourse markers. The analysis of the two items will be based on authentic material: for English, the London-Lund Corpus of Spoken English will be used; the source for instances of German 'nun' will be the Freiburg Corpus (Grundstrukturen: Freiburger Korpus). This paper can only draw on parts of the corpora; consequently, the search has been restricted to two parts of the London-Lund Corpus (cf. chapter 3.1.2.) and those elements of the Freiburg Corpus labelled conversation (cf. chapter 3.2.2.). On the grounds that this material is so limited, the investigation into the different uses of 'now' and 'nun' can only be exemplary and by no means exhaustive.
The paper will be structured as follows: the first part is concerned with defining the term discourse marker and classifying discourse marker functions into different types of functions, aiming at a language-independent description. The results will be used as a theoretical basis for the empirical part, which will first deal with English 'now' and then tackle 'nun'. Both of these sections will be organised in the same way: there will first be a language-specific discussion on different (discourse marker and other) functions of the respective lexical item; then criteria for distinguishing the different uses will be established. The second part will briefly demonstrate instances of 'now'/'nun' carrying their propositional meaning – for 'nun', there will also be a chapter on its use as a modal particle – before it concentrates on the two items having discourse marker status; in this section, different functions will be discussed and examples will be given from the respective corpus. As already mentioned, this analysis will have to remain of a merely exemplary kind. Finally, the results from these analyses will be contrasted, working out both differences and similarities between the lexical counterparts in the two languages.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Discourse markers
- 2.1. Definition and characteristics
- 2.2. Function
- 3. Analyses of now and nun
- 3.1. Now
- 3.1.1. Criteria for the distinction of propositional and non-propositional meaning
- 3.1.2. Functions and examples of now in the London-Lund Corpus
- 3.2. Nun
- 3.2.1. Criteria for the distinction of propositional and different non-propositional meanings
- 3.2.2. Functions and examples of nun in the Freiburg Corpus
- 4. Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper investigates the functions of the English word "now" and its German counterpart "nun" in spoken discourse, specifically within the context of conversation. The aim is to analyze how these words are used to structure discourse and to identify similarities and differences in their usage between the two languages. The analysis considers both the propositional and non-propositional meanings of these words, acknowledging their roles beyond discourse markers.
- Defining and characterizing discourse markers across languages.
- Analyzing the functions of "now" in English spoken discourse.
- Analyzing the functions of "nun" in German spoken discourse.
- Comparing and contrasting the usage of "now" and "nun" as discourse markers.
- Exploring the propositional and non-propositional meanings of "now" and "nun".
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paper by establishing the importance of cooperation in spoken interactions. It highlights the speaker's responsibility in facilitating the hearer's understanding through the use of discourse structuring devices, such as discourse markers. The chapter introduces the focus of the study: a comparative analysis of the English word "now" and its German equivalent "nun," emphasizing their roles as discourse markers while acknowledging their other potential meanings. The methodology, based on the London-Lund Corpus and the Freiburg Corpus, is outlined, with an acknowledgment of the limitations imposed by using only sections of these corpora. The chapter concludes by presenting the paper's structure, foreshadowing the subsequent sections' detailed examination of "now" and "nun."
2. Discourse markers: This chapter tackles the complexities surrounding the term "discourse marker," acknowledging the lack of universal agreement on its definition and the wide range of functions attributed to such markers. It critically examines different perspectives on discourse marker classification, focusing on Lenk's definition which provides a language-independent framework. Lenk's definition, emphasizing pragmatic meaning on a metalingual level to signal relationships between discourse parts, is adopted as the primary basis for the analysis. The chapter also addresses characteristics of discourse markers such as their morphological brevity, their shift from lexical to pragmatic meaning (delexicalisation and pragmaticalisation), and their typical syntactic positions. The chapter lays the theoretical groundwork for subsequent chapters dedicated to the specific analysis of "now" and "nun."
2.1. Definition and characteristics: This section provides a detailed explanation of Lenk's definition of discourse markers as short lexical items with pragmatic, metalingual functions. It highlights the crucial distinction between their pragmatic meaning (used as discourse markers) and their propositional meaning (used in their lexical sense), emphasizing that these meanings are non-overlapping within a discourse. The chapter further explores criteria for distinguishing between these uses, considering syntactic position, phonological features, and collocations. A discussion on word class distinctions used in German literature to differentiate propositional and non-propositional functions is included, setting the groundwork for the analysis of "nun" in later sections.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Discourse markers, now, nun, spoken discourse, conversation analysis, corpus linguistics, London-Lund Corpus, Freiburg Corpus, pragmatic meaning, propositional meaning, comparative linguistics, English, German.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comparative Analysis of "Now" and "Nun" in Spoken Discourse
What is the main topic of this paper?
This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the English word "now" and its German counterpart "nun" in spoken discourse. It focuses on how these words function as discourse markers to structure conversations and investigates both their propositional (lexical) and non-propositional (pragmatic) meanings. The analysis draws upon data from the London-Lund Corpus (for English) and the Freiburg Corpus (for German).
What are the key objectives of this research?
The primary goals are to define and characterize discourse markers across languages, analyze the functions of "now" and "nun" in spoken discourse, compare and contrast their usage, and explore both their propositional and non-propositional meanings. The study aims to understand how these words contribute to conversational flow and meaning-making.
What methodology is used in this study?
The research employs corpus linguistics, specifically utilizing sections of the London-Lund Corpus for English examples of "now" and the Freiburg Corpus for German examples of "nun." The limitations of using only portions of these corpora are acknowledged.
How are discourse markers defined in this paper?
The paper adopts Lenk's definition of discourse markers, which characterizes them as short lexical items with pragmatic, metalingual functions. This means they signal relationships between parts of the discourse rather than contributing directly to the propositional content. The definition emphasizes a distinction between pragmatic and propositional meaning, which are viewed as non-overlapping in a given context.
What are the key characteristics of discourse markers discussed?
The paper discusses several characteristics, including their morphological brevity, their shift from lexical to pragmatic meaning (delexicalisation and pragmaticalisation), and their typical syntactic positions. The analysis also considers syntactic position, phonological features, and collocations to distinguish between pragmatic and propositional uses.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper is structured into four chapters: An introduction outlining the research aims and methodology; a chapter on discourse markers, providing a theoretical framework; a detailed analysis of "now" and "nun," including subsections on their propositional and non-propositional meanings and examples from the corpora; and finally, a concluding chapter summarizing the findings.
What corpora are used, and why?
The study utilizes the London-Lund Corpus for analyzing the use of "now" in English spoken discourse and the Freiburg Corpus for analyzing "nun" in German spoken discourse. These corpora provide a large and readily accessible source of naturally occurring spoken language data.
What are the key differences between the propositional and non-propositional meanings of "now" and "nun"?
The paper distinguishes between the propositional (lexical) meaning, where "now" and "nun" refer to the present time, and their non-propositional (pragmatic) meaning, where they function as discourse markers to structure conversation. The analysis focuses on identifying and categorizing these distinct uses within the corpus data.
What are the key findings (as summarized in the chapter summaries)?
The introduction establishes the importance of discourse markers in facilitating understanding. The discourse marker chapter details Lenk's definition and characteristics. The analysis chapters delve into the specifics of "now" and "nun," differentiating their propositional and non-propositional uses with corpus examples. The conclusion synthesizes the findings of the comparative analysis.
What are the keywords associated with this research?
Keywords include discourse markers, now, nun, spoken discourse, conversation analysis, corpus linguistics, London-Lund Corpus, Freiburg Corpus, pragmatic meaning, propositional meaning, comparative linguistics, English, and German.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Elisabeth Fritz (Autor:in), 2007, Discourse markers, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/136240
