Chapter 2
‘I understand’-initiated formulations of the other
A semi-fixed claim to the intersubjective
Some language patterns appear fixed at a certain time, enabling their
description as grammatical structures. Semi-fixed patterns that routinely
accomplish specific social actions constitute more of an analytical
challenge. This chapter targets the phrase ma saan aru ‘I
understand’ in Estonian together with the ensuing other-attentive
formulation ‘2nd person expression + a cognitive concept’ and argues that it
is a semi-fixed expression, a “claim to the intersubjective”, that manages a
misalignment between participants. While claiming to have successfully
accessed the other’s motives or feelings, the speaker regularly advances her
own agenda through the formulation of the other. This suggests a systematic
relationship between cognitive lexicon, grammatical structure, and
interactional function, and calls for a language theory that incorporates
semi-fixedness.
Article outline
- Introduction
- Data and method
- Formulating the other’s mind: With and without ‘I understand’
- Claim to the intersubjective and social sensitivity
- Degree of routinization
- Parallel cases and the abstract pattern
- Conclusion
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Transcription conventions
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Abbreviations
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Notes
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References