Uptaking Construction

1. General

1.1. Label

Uptaking Discourse Particle Construction

1.2. Reasons for construction status

The construction contributes form and meaning aspects not provided by the lexical material inside the construction.

1.3. Examples

mjcb_1_02: um well I have some, free time on (P) almost every day. except for Fridays, Fridays are bad. um so any day besides Friday is probably, we can probably fi(nd), work out a time.

fkcf_1_03: /h#/ well next week I'm out of town, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so, (P) perhaps, Monday afternoon?

---

fkcf_1_05: how 'bout the next week,

mjcb_1_06: um that's fine. how 'bout uh, next Thursday. after lunch.

2. Language Information

2.1. Comments

2.2. Language

English

2.3. Variety

The construction seems to occur in all spoken, dialogical varieties of English.

2.4. Speech Community

It is not restricted to a particular speech communicty.

2.5. Language Contact

2.6. Time Period

2.7. Stage of Acquisition

3. Form

3.1. Syntax

3.1.1. Comments

3.1.2. Internal

3.1.2.1. Valency

3.1.2.2. Constituency

The construction comprises two free slots: one for a discourse particle (or sometimes a combination of two discourse particles), one for a following utterance.

The construction comes with a certain intonation contour: Uptaking discourse particles are usually uttered with falling intonation, sometimes with fall-rise intonation contours.

3.1.3. External

3.1.3.1. Category

discourse particle

3.1.3.2. Structural Position

The construction occurs at the beginning of a new speaker turn.

3.2. Morphology

3.2.1. Comments

Discourse particles are morphologically simple, and the construction does not add any complexity to this.

3.2.2. Internal

3.2.2.1. Morphological Properties of Elements

Discourse particles are morphologically simple, and the construction does not add any complexity to this.

3.2.3. External

3.2.3.1. Morphological Properties of Construction

Discourse particles are morphologically simple, and the construction does not add any complexity to this.

4. Meaning

4.1. Semantics

4.1.1. Comments

The construction does not contribute semantic information in the narrow sense.

4.1.2. Internal

4.1.2.1. Frame

4.1.2.1.1. Event

4.1.2.1.2. Participants

4.1.2.2. Truth-Conditional Information

4.1.2.2.1. Negation

4.1.2.2.2. Scope

4.1.3. External

4.1.3.1. Semantic Class

4.1.3.2. Relation to Construction-External Semantic Elements

4.1.3.3. Truth Relations

4.1.3.3.1. Semantic Presuppositions

4.1.3.3.2. Semantic Entailments

4.2. Pragmatics

4.2.1. Comments

The function of this construction is to signal a relevant relationship between the current utterance and the previous with respect to perception, understanding, as well as information structural and interpersonal relationship.

4.2.2. Internal

Depending on the contribution of the discourse particle inside the construction, the construction will signal successful perception and understanding of the previous utterance without committing the speaker to agreement. Moreover, it will signal that the current utterance is related to the previous one.

4.2.3. External

4.2.3.1. Indexical Properties

4.2.3.1.1. Deixis

4.2.3.1.2. Intertextuality

It links the current utterance to the previous one produced by another speaker.

4.2.3.2. Interpersonal Function

Depending on the contribution of the discourse particle inside the construction, the construction will signal successful perception and understanding of the previous utterance (without committing the speaker to agreement) and relevant relationship between the current utterance and the one produced by the communication partner, thus showing high evaluation of the partner's utterance.

4.2.3.3. Speaker attitude

Depending on the contribution of the discourse particle inside the construction, the construction will signal successful perception and understanding of the previous utterance - without committing the speaker to agreement. Especially if the current speaker does not agree with the previous speaker, the construction can preserve the partner's face by showing high evaluation of the partner's utterance.

4.2.3.4. Speech Act Function

none.

4.2.3.5. Rhetorical Function

The construction ratifies the partner's previous utterance as perceived and understood.

4.2.3.6. Style

none.

4.2.3.7. Pragmatic Presuppositions / Implicature

4.3. Discourse Properties

4.3.1. Internal

4.3.1.1. Turn Constructional Status

It occurs turn-initially after a previous speaker's contribution but does not constitute a TCU itself.

4.3.1.2. Within-Turn Position

turn-initial

4.3.2.External

4.3.2.1. Sequential Context

The construction occurs turn-initially after an utterance produced by the communication partner.

4.3.2.2. Position in Text- and Dialogue-Structure

The construction occurs turn-initially after an utterance produced by the communication partner. It claims that the current utterance is related relevantly to the previous.

4.3.2.3. Sequence Type

4.4. Information Structure

4.4.1. Internal

4.4.1.1. Topic - Comment

4.4.1.2. Focus

4.4.2. External

4.4.2.1. Signaled Information Status

4.4.2.2. Information Status Requirements

4.5. Data

4.5.1. Introspection

---+++ 4.5.2. Authentic data

4.5.2.1. Source data properties

The examples cited above are from the Verbmobil corpus (here the CMU corpus), yet the construction occurs ubiquitously in spontaneous conversation/dialogue.

4.5.2.2. Methods of Analysis

The functions of discourse particles are usually analysed by means of discourse analytic methods.

4.6. Literature

Kerstin Fischer (2006): Frames, constructions and invariant meanings: The functional polysemy of discourse particles. In Fischer, K. (ed.): Approaches to Discourse Particles. Studies in Pragmatics 1, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pages 427-447.

Kerstin Fischer (2000): From Cognitive Semantics to Lexical Pragmatics: The Functional Polysemy of Discourse Particles. Mouton de Gruyter: Berlin, New York.

5. Relations to other constructions

5.1. Subtypes

5.1.1. Diachronic

5.1.2. Synchronic

Discorse particles occuring in the Uptaking construction may also occur in Framing and Repair constructions.

5.2. Supertypes

5.2.1. Diachronic

5.2.2. Synchronic

5.3. Paradigmatic Relations