Publications

Publication details [#17358]

Maynard, Senko Kumiya. 1997. Meta-quotation: The thematic and interactional significance of tte in Japanese comics. Functions of Language 4 (1) : 23–46.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English
Language as a subject
Place, Publisher
John Benjamins
Journal DOI
10.1075/fol

Annotation

This paper explores the thematic and interactional significance of the quotative marker tte in Japanese comics. The quotative expressions examined are Ômeta-quotationsÕ, their main function being to self-qualify the quoterÕs speaking act. Although a similar use is observed in the standard quotation marker to followed by the verbs of saying and thinking, this study primarily focuses on tte that appears independently in casual speech as depicted in comics targeted at adolescent girls. Extending beyond the concept of speech act qualification, I argue that meta-quotation offers a device in Japanese discourse to qualify and manipulate multiple discourse organizational and interactional meanings, including theme presentation, Ôpseudo-quotationÕ, and quotation across speakers. Through tteÕs function as a metalinguistic device, this study illustrates that language not only describes events and states but also reflexively qualifies the speakerÕs voice that describes these events and states.