On Fillers and Their Possible Functions

Abstract

This paper has its departure point in ten interviews conducted by the famous journalist Larry King on the CNN. It sets out to demonstrate that fillers, words and phrases that may carry a negligible if not void semantic load, may, nevertheless, play an important functional role in communication, as discourse markers and interactional signals.

Keywords

• filler
• discourse marker
• interactional signal
• symbol function
• symptom function