HM and EHM as discourse markers in German WhatsApp chats. (March 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- HM and EHM as discourse markers in German WhatsApp chats. (March 2021)
- Main Title:
- HM and EHM as discourse markers in German WhatsApp chats
- Authors:
- König, Katharina
- Abstract:
- Highlights: and have discourse-pragmatic functions. In responsive postings they indicate that finding the answer required some thought. They usually do not halt the emerging chat but relate the posting to previous discourse. -postings align with the current course of action and take a cooperative stance. can also be used to disalign and express a stance of irritation. Abstract: The paper studies the discourse-pragmatic functions of hesitation markers such as and in a corpus of text-based German WhatsApp dialogues. The sequential analysis of these markers suggests that they are used by texters to indicate different discourse relations and stances. Responsive (i.e. markers without a vowel) usually indexes alignment with the current course of action; it frames the following contribution as the preliminary result of a longer thought process, and often invites other users to deliberate the matter at hand. (markers with a vowel), in contrast, can also index processing which takes issue with a preceding posting and hence disaligns with the projected course of action. In opposition to recent studies highlighting the conversational nature of WhatsApp dialogues, the analysis shows that texters make use of different levels of incrementality. Prototypically, texters do not deploy and as stand-alone elements of a posting to indicate that they are still deliberating and need more time to produce their next contribution. Rather, they use them as initial framing devices in longerHighlights: and have discourse-pragmatic functions. In responsive postings they indicate that finding the answer required some thought. They usually do not halt the emerging chat but relate the posting to previous discourse. -postings align with the current course of action and take a cooperative stance. can also be used to disalign and express a stance of irritation. Abstract: The paper studies the discourse-pragmatic functions of hesitation markers such as and in a corpus of text-based German WhatsApp dialogues. The sequential analysis of these markers suggests that they are used by texters to indicate different discourse relations and stances. Responsive (i.e. markers without a vowel) usually indexes alignment with the current course of action; it frames the following contribution as the preliminary result of a longer thought process, and often invites other users to deliberate the matter at hand. (markers with a vowel), in contrast, can also index processing which takes issue with a preceding posting and hence disaligns with the projected course of action. In opposition to recent studies highlighting the conversational nature of WhatsApp dialogues, the analysis shows that texters make use of different levels of incrementality. Prototypically, texters do not deploy and as stand-alone elements of a posting to indicate that they are still deliberating and need more time to produce their next contribution. Rather, they use them as initial framing devices in longer postings actively suspending an incremental exchange of messages. It is argued that these instances should not be classified as hesitation markers, fillers or planners, but should be conceptualised as discourse markers. The results exhibit interesting similarities and dissimilarities to the formal and functional patterns of EHM (אהמ) in Hebrew WhatsApp chats identified by Marmorstein (this collection). The final discussion compares these findings as to how formal variation is exploited in digital discourse. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Discourse, context & media. Volume 39(2021)
- Journal:
- Discourse, context & media
- Issue:
- Volume 39(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 39, Issue 2021 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 39
- Issue:
- 2021
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0039-2021-0000
- Page Start:
- Page End:
- Publication Date:
- 2021-03
- Subjects:
- Discourse markers -- Hesitation markers -- Text-based digital discourse -- Digital conversation analysis -- Mobile messaging -- WhatsApp
Discourse analysis -- Periodicals
Digital media -- Periodicals
Mass media and language -- Periodicals
Communication -- Periodicals
Communication
Digital media
Discourse analysis
Mass media and language
Periodicals
401.4105 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22116958 ↗
http://www.sciencedirect.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1016/j.dcm.2020.100457 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 2211-6958
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 15803.xml