Vol. 5:2 (2018) ► pp.189–207
The status of punctuation marks in Cognitive Grammar
This paper seeks to provide a new analysis of punctuation marks in English. To do so, it substantiates two claims of Cognitive Grammar. One claim is that the meaning of a linguistic expression is best understood in terms of the domain to which it belongs. In light of this claim, the paper argues that punctuation marks form sets in which they highlight similarities in general but differences in specifics. The other claim is that the use of a linguistic expression is governed by the particular construal imposed on its content. In view of this claim, the paper argues that the use of a punctuation mark stems from the particular construal the speaker chooses to describe a situation. The occurrence of two or more punctuation marks gives rise to semantic contrast, in which each mark represents a different construal, and so a different meaning. The aim of the analysis is to emphasise the roles which punctuation marks play in the interpretation of sentences, namely in conveying meaning.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Theoretical framework
- 3.The domain theory
- 3.1Domains of sentence punctuation marks
- 3.1.1The domain of termination
- 3.1.2The domain of connection
- 3.2Domains of word punctuation marks
- 3.2.1The domain of possession
- 3.2.2The domain of combination
- 3.1Domains of sentence punctuation marks
- 4.The construal theory
- 4.1Distinctions caused by single marks
- 4.2Distinctions caused by different marks
- 4.2.1The completion-anticipation distinction
- 4.2.2The completion-combination distinction
- 4.2.3The separation-combination distinction
- 4.2.4The anticipation-emphasis distinction
- 4.2.5The elaboration-emphasis distinction
- 4.2.6The anticipation-elaboration distinction
- 5.Conclusion
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References
https://doi.org/10.1075/cogls.00018.ham
References
References
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