Keevallik2021
| Keevallik2021 | |
|---|---|
| BibType | ARTICLE |
| Key | Keevallik2017 |
| Author(s) | Leelo Keevallik, Külli Habicht |
| Title | Grammaticalization, (Inter)subjectification, and Sequencing of Actions: the Estonian Epistemic (Question) Particle ega |
| Editor(s) | |
| Tag(s) | EMCA, Interactional linguistics, Particles, Estonian, Grammar, Grammaticalization |
| Publisher | |
| Year | 2017 |
| Language | English |
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| Journal | Linguistica Uralica |
| Volume | 53 |
| Number | 2 |
| Pages | 81-105 |
| URL | Link |
| DOI | https://dx.doi.org/10.3176/lu.2017.2.01 |
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Abstract
The paper studies the semantic-pragmatic and syntactic development of the negation verb/word ei + the adverb kaas ’together, also’ into an epistemic marker and particle ega. Ega has been described as a coordinating conjunction, a marker of negation and a question word in Estonian grammars and we will show how these diverse usages come together on a timeline from the earliest written sources to present-day conversation. Ega has first been grammaticalized into a conjunction and then into an emphatic epistemic marker indicating speaker certainty as well as opposition with prior discourse. It is now being reanalyzed as a question word in cases where the negative proposition concerns matters that belong to the interlocutor’s area of competence. The study shows that interactional sequencing of actions may provide a crucial clue for the process of (inter)subjectification. It also proposes a novel cline of grammaticalization for a question word, and thus illustrates the benefits of combining the methods of conversation analysis and historical linguistics.
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