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Discourse markers in the spoken Portuguese of Rio de Janeiro

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Giselle M. de Oliveira e Silva  and
Alzira Tavares de Macedo
Giselle M. de Oliveira e Silva
Affiliation:
CNPq, Brazil
Alzira Tavares de Macedo
Affiliation:
UFRJ, Brazil
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Abstract

We analyze four major classes of discourse marker used in Brazilian Portuguese: né and other requests for feedback; aí, a sequential connector; ah, bom, and other turn initiators; and assim, a marker of explanation. The distribution of these forms is compared in argumentation, description, narration, and other genres and explained in terms of discourse function. Sociodemographic conditioning is also analyzed. An innovative component of the data analysis is an accounting for rates of occurrence per number of clauses in the speech samples studied. The results were elaborated through a series of other studies confirming the discourse function of the various markers. A comparison of the results with previous work on English and French discourse markers reveals striking parallels and raises questions about the grammaticalization of these forms.

Type
Research Article
Information
Language Variation and Change , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , July 1992 , pp. 235 - 249
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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