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Article published In:
Pragmatics and Society
Vol. 8:3 (2017) ► pp.400–420

But as a stance marker in Nigerian investigative public hearings

| Redeemer’s University, Ede, Nigeria

This study examines the kinds of stance that but as a contrastive marker signals in Nigerian investigative public hearings, with a view to exploring the contexts in which the stances are made. The study examines forty purposively selected investigative public hearing sessions which involve interactions between complainants, defendants and a hearing panel. The data are analysed qualitatively utilising Du Bois’ (2007) interactional view of stance and Martin and White’s (2005) Appraisal system. Results indicate that but signals epistemic, evidential, emotive and evaluative stances within the narrative, interrogative and closing contexts. These stances and their contextual patterns depend heavily on the roles, goals and knowledge of the participants as stancetakers who position themselves, and align with other participants and the wider discourse community in order to express evaluation and intersubjective positioning.

Keywords: appraisal, contrastive marker, evaluation, intersubjective positioning, investigative public hearings, stance
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.A brief background to the Nigerian federal capital territory (FCT) administration hearings
  • 3.Theoretical considerations
  • 4.Method
  • 5.Analysis and findings
    • 5.1The discursive context of but in the hearings
      • 5.1.1Narrative context
      • 5.1.2Interrogative context
      • 5.1.3Closing context
    • 5.2But and stance
      • 5.2.1 But signalling epistemic stance
      • 5.2.2 But and evidential stance
      • 5.2.3 But signalling evaluative stance
      • 5.2.4 But indexing affective stance
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 27 October 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.8.3.04unu
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