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Part of
Pragmatic Markers and Peripheries
Edited by Daniël Van Olmen and Jolanta Šinkūnienė
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 325] 2021
► pp. 351–382

Chapter 13
Pragmatic markers at the periphery and discourse prominence

The case of English of course

ORCID logo | Aix Marseille University | Laboratoire Parole et Langage

This chapter argues that position interacts with discourse prominence in the development of pragmatic markers. A case study of the English marker of course traces its historical development over Late Modern English to its present-day usage at both left (LP) and right (RP) peripheries. It is argued that of course splits along informational lines: of course-1 becomes more backgrounded while of course-2 bears focus. At LP of course-1 acquires a presentational function while at RP it marks its host as a comment on a previous idea, in a hypotactic discourse structure. The emergence of information-packaging functions may be seen as a further grammaticalization of the PM.

Keywords: pragmatic marker, discourse prominence, periphery, grammaticalization, discourse structure
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Position, prominence and English pragmatic markers
    • 2.1Pragmatic markers and position
    • 2.2Pragmatic markers and discourse prominence
  • 3. Of course in Late Modern English
    • 3.1Data sources
    • 3.2 Of course in the Old Bailey corpus
      • 3.2.1Meanings of of course
      • 3.2.2Position of of course
  • 4. Of course in PDE
    • 4.1 Of course as a pragmatic marker
    • 4.2 Of course in PDE: Functions and contextual uses
    • 4.3 Of course in PDE at LP and RP
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Sources
  • References
Published online: 13 October 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.325.13lew
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