The epistemic marking of questions in Colloquial Jakartan Indonesian

Abstract

This study aims to expand our understanding of epistemic marking in marked questions in Colloquial Jakartan Indonesian. It focuses on the use of the discourse marker dong in both polar and content questions, based on data from the Child Language Data Exchange System (CHILDES). Additionally, it examines the co-occurrence of dong and ya in polar questions. The marker dong signals speakers' recognition of their own limited knowledge and the hearer's greater authority on the matter. Furthermore, it indicates that speakers intentionally present their questions as the result of reconstructing their understanding up to the moment of speaking. When dong co-occurs with ya in polar questions, it reflects the speakers' invitation for the hearers to confirm conclusions they have synthesized based on prior information. This combination suggests a stronger speaker commitment to the presupposed information.