An enunciative approach to discourse markers: yet and still

Abstract

The present study aims to provide a general model for the analysis of discourse markers, formulated within the Theory of Enunciative and Predicative Operations (TEPO) (cf. Culioli 1990, 1999a, 1999b). Discourse marking is seen as a complex activity of regulation, involving metalinguistic comment on operations of representation and / or reference assignment. In illustration of the model, a single schematic form for the markers yet and still is shown to give rise to contextually situated values of both micro - and macro - syntactic scope as a function of various linguistically observable factors. All examples are taken from the spoken part of the British National Corpus.

Keywords

• enunciation
• discourse markers
• schematic form
• aspect
• modality
• concession
• argumentation