Evidentials and dubitatives in Finnish: perspective shift in questions and embedded contexts

IF 0.6 2区 文学 0 LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS
Elsi Kaiser
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This paper investigates the reportative evidential kuulemma and the dubitative muka in Finnish (Finno-Ugric). Kuulemma typically indicates that the speaker reports information provided by someone else (hearsay) and is not committed to the truth of the proposition, while muka (roughly: ‘supposedly, allegedly, as if’) typically signals that the speaker doubts the truth of the proposition, leaving open the information source. This paper explores perspective-shifting and whether these forms can be anchored to someone other than the speaker. I use corpus data and native speaker judgments to test what happens in questions, under the speech verb ‘say,’ and in free indirect discourse. In questions, both forms appear to stay anchored to the speaker (no interrogative flip). However, when embedded under ‘say,’ dubitative muka remains speaker-oriented, whereas reportative kuulemma can shift to the subject. In free indirect discourse, both can shift to the character whose point-of-view is expressed. I propose that these differences are partially related to subjectivity: Whereas kuulemma can be described in objective terms, it has been suggested that muka can express more nuanced affect such as surprise and irony. I suggest this subjective nature of muka is related to its speaker-oriented nature, echoing the speaker-orientation default of affective expressions (e.g. predicates of personal taste, epithets, interjections).
芬兰语中的证据词和疑问词:问题和嵌入式语境中的视角转换
本文研究了芬兰语(芬兰-乌戈尔语)中的报告性证据 kuulemma 和怀疑性 muka。kuulemma通常表示说话人报告他人提供的信息(道听途说),并不保证命题的真实性,而muka(大致意思:'据说,据称,好像')通常表示说话人怀疑命题的真实性,不确定信息来源。本文探讨了视角转换问题,以及这些形式是否可以与说话人以外的其他人联系起来。我使用语料库数据和母语人士的判断来测试在疑问句、言语动词 "说 "和自由间接话语中发生的情况。在问句中,这两种形式似乎都固定在说话人身上(没有问句翻转)。但是,当嵌入到 "说 "中时,疑问式 muka 仍然以说话人为中心,而报告式 kuulemma 则可以转向主语。在自由间接话语中,两者都可以转向表达观点的角色。我认为这些差异部分与主语有关:kuulemma 可以用客观术语来描述,而 muka 则可以表达更细微的情感,如惊讶和讽刺。我认为,muka 的这种主观性与其面向说话者的性质有关,这与情感表达(如个人品味谓语、褒义词、插话)中默认的面向说话者的性质相呼应。
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来源期刊
Folia Linguistica
Folia Linguistica Multiple-
CiteScore
1.20
自引率
16.70%
发文量
43
期刊介绍: Folia Linguistica covers all non-historical areas in the traditional disciplines of general linguistics (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics), and also sociological, discoursal, computational and psychological aspects of language and linguistic theory. Other areas of central concern are grammaticalization and language typology. The journal consists of scientific articles presenting results of original research, review articles, overviews of research in specific areas, book reviews, and a miscellanea section carrying reports and discussion notes. In addition, proposals from prospective guest editors for occasional special issues on selected current topics are welcomed.
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