Article published In:
Functions of LanguageVol. 31:2 (2024) ► pp.166–207
Doing things with grammar
Presupposition accommodation across grammatical categories
This paper studies the way utterances project properties of the interactional context via the choice of
grammatical indexicals. Our analysis is an original combination of existing theoretical developments including notions of
grammatical indexicality (Silverstein 1976), of the relational structure of indexical
reference (Hanks 2014) and of presupposition accommodation (von Fintel 2008; Heim 1982; Karttunen 1974, among others). While Silverstein (1976) suggested that
different types of grammatical indexicals can be (relatively) context-creating or (relatively) context-presupposing, we argue that
presupposition vs creativity is not a property of specific categories, but rather of tokens in a given context and that in natural
interaction, they are subject to negotiation. While all indexicals are presupposing, there are two types of uses of pragmatic
presupposition involved forming a scale (Mazzarella & Domaneschi 2018; Sbisà 1999): non-informative (when the presupposition is already part of common ground of
the interlocutors) and informative (when the presupposition needs to be accommodated by the addressee). The theoretical analysis
is grounded in a discussion of data on evidentiality, egophoricity, pronouns of address, demonstrative reference, and tense and is
based on literature review, as well as first-hand recordings of conversations in Wutun (mixed Sinitic language, China) and Mano
(Mande, Guinea).
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Analytical frameworks
- 2.1Linguistic indexicality: Presupposing vs. creative indexicals
- 2.2Presupposition in indexical reference: Relational structure
- 2.3Presupposition accommodation
- 2.4Accommodation of indexical presupposition
- 3.Accommodating information source: Evidentiality in Upper Napo Kichwa
- 4.Accommodating solidarity and distancing: Pronouns of address in Russian
- 5.Accommodating participation: Egophoricity in Wutun
- 6.Accommodating common knowledge: Recognitional deixis in Mano
- 7.Accommodating temporal distance: Tense marking in Shambala
- 8.Summary and discussion
- 8.1Summary
- 8.2An alternative analytical framework: Stance
- 8.3Conclusions and outlook
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Abbreviations
-
References
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