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Part of
Voices Past and Present - Studies of Involved, Speech-related and Spoken Texts: In honor of Merja Kytö
Edited by Ewa Jonsson and Tove Larsson
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics 97] 2020
► pp. 173–186

Chapter 11
Sure in Irish English

The diachrony of a pragmatic marker

| University of Duisburg and Essen
The English adjective sure functions in Irish English as a pragmatic marker in sentence-initial or clause-initial position (occasionally in tag questions) expressing intersubjectivity in discourse. This essentially has the effect of affirming shared knowledge among speakers and offering reassurance in cases where a speaker feels it is appropriate to do so. The specifically Irish use of sure can be traced back to the late seventeenth century with a peak in the nineteenth century, going on literary representations of Irish English. Its indexical value for Irishness may have contributed to its decline, but not demise, in twentieth century literature, despite its continued occurrence in Irish English today.
Keywords: Irish English, unstressed sure , pragmatic markers, diachronic development, intersubjectification
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Origin of sure
  • 3.Pragmatic marker sure
  • 4.Intersubjectification: From emphasis to reassurance
  • 5.Pragmatic marker sure : The question of vintage
  • 6.Pragmatic marker sure and Irishness
  • 7.Possible transfer from Irish
    • 7.1 Sure in English and Irish corpora
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 5 October 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.97.11hic
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