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Article published In:
Pragmatics & Cognition
Vol. 25:2 (2018) ► pp.384–416

Beyond triadic communication

A three-dimensional conceptual space for modelling intersubjectivity

| Leiden University, The Netherlands
| Leiden University, The Netherlands

Coordinating different viewpoints is an essential part of human interaction. Languages have evolved conventional ways of supporting this process: many linguistic items are somehow involved in viewpoint management, ranging from morphological elements and lexical units to grammatical constructions and narrative patterns. In this paper we propose a conceptual model for analysing how particular instances (or combinations) of such linguistic items can be used to coordinate the viewpoints of signallers, addressees, and third parties involved in an interaction event. In essence, our model augments Langacker’s (1987) “viewing arrangement” through the addition of a third dimension to the existing two. We discuss the details of our model using a range of examples from spoken discourse, newspaper articles, and literary fiction, and end by placing it in broader discussions on human social cognition.

Keywords: viewpoint, perspective, intersubjectivity, polyphony, viewpoint packages, framing adjectives, social cognition
Article outline
  • 1.Viewpoint management and intersubjectivity
  • 2.A three-dimensional conceptual space
    • 2.1Dyadic and triadic communication
    • 2.2Speaker commitment and viewpoint embedding: Dalabon and English
    • 2.3The general model
  • 3.Thoughtscapes and the 3D-model: Three case studies
    • 3.1Case 1: Murder or accident?
    • 3.2Case 2: Scope and framing in adjectives
    • 3.3Case 3: Perspective mixing: Free Indirect Discourse, and other forms
  • 4.Conclusion and discussion
    • 4.1Summary
    • 4.2The broader context: Intersubjective language and intersubjective thought
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 25 November 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pc.18004.dui
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2019. The emergence of viewpoints in multiple perspective constructions. Pragmatics. Quarterly Publication of the International Pragmatics Association (IPrA) ► pp. 226 ff. DOI logo

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