Pragmatic and Discourse Functions of Discourse Marker (i)diay in Costa Rican Spanish
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0002-8578-5438
Document Type
Paper Presentation
Presenter Language
English
Research Area
Pragmatics and discourse analysis
Location
MBSC Council Room 306
Start Date
19-10-2024 12:30 PM
End Date
19-10-2024 1:00 PM
Abstract
This study explores the pragmatic and discourse functions of the Discourse Marker (DM) (i)diay examining its variants —namely idiay, diay, yay, and di— to further our understanding of its role within Costa Rican linguistic discourse. Delgado (2012) identified the limited exploration of its multifaceted functions beyond speech introduction and highlighted the need to study its variants. By combining theoretical frameworks proposed by Schiffrin (1987, 2005) and Fraser (1998, 2009, 2015, 2021), and inspired by Stenström’s (2012) approach, this study expands on previous findings. Data were collected from three different corpora, El Corpus del Español, specifically the Web/Dialects and News on the Web (NOW) corpora, along with the Corpus de Referencia del Español Actual (CREA) corpus for oral sources. The data were analyzed following Stenström’s model, observing the pragmatic and discursive function of DMs via speech acts.
A total of 14,947 tokens were found in concordances for each variant of (i)diay and categorized based on their directive, evaluative, and reactive functions. Given the high frequency of di as a past tense form of the verb dar, advanced search filters and automated scripts were employed to exclude irrelevant instances, ensuring that only genuine occurrences of the interjection were analyzed. Findings indicate that di is predominantly used in directive functions, diay in evaluative contexts, and idiay and yay in reactive contexts. These findings suggest the flexibility and adaptability of (i)diay within Costa Rican Spanish discourse.
The implications of these findings extend to both theoretical and practical domains, shedding light on the role of DMs in discourse coherence and speaker intentionality in Costa Rican discourse. Moreover, it opens avenues for further research into generational differences and intrasociopragmatic effects, such as the variations between social classes in the use of each variant. The study thus contributes to the broader understanding of DMs in Spanish discourse and emphasizes the need for continued exploration of (i)diay's pragmatic functions.
Keywords: Discourse Maker, (i)diay, pragmatic functions, discourse coherence, Schiffrin, Fraser, speech acts, speaker intentionality, Costa Rican Spanish.
Pragmatic and Discourse Functions of Discourse Marker (i)diay in Costa Rican Spanish
MBSC Council Room 306
This study explores the pragmatic and discourse functions of the Discourse Marker (DM) (i)diay examining its variants —namely idiay, diay, yay, and di— to further our understanding of its role within Costa Rican linguistic discourse. Delgado (2012) identified the limited exploration of its multifaceted functions beyond speech introduction and highlighted the need to study its variants. By combining theoretical frameworks proposed by Schiffrin (1987, 2005) and Fraser (1998, 2009, 2015, 2021), and inspired by Stenström’s (2012) approach, this study expands on previous findings. Data were collected from three different corpora, El Corpus del Español, specifically the Web/Dialects and News on the Web (NOW) corpora, along with the Corpus de Referencia del Español Actual (CREA) corpus for oral sources. The data were analyzed following Stenström’s model, observing the pragmatic and discursive function of DMs via speech acts.
A total of 14,947 tokens were found in concordances for each variant of (i)diay and categorized based on their directive, evaluative, and reactive functions. Given the high frequency of di as a past tense form of the verb dar, advanced search filters and automated scripts were employed to exclude irrelevant instances, ensuring that only genuine occurrences of the interjection were analyzed. Findings indicate that di is predominantly used in directive functions, diay in evaluative contexts, and idiay and yay in reactive contexts. These findings suggest the flexibility and adaptability of (i)diay within Costa Rican Spanish discourse.
The implications of these findings extend to both theoretical and practical domains, shedding light on the role of DMs in discourse coherence and speaker intentionality in Costa Rican discourse. Moreover, it opens avenues for further research into generational differences and intrasociopragmatic effects, such as the variations between social classes in the use of each variant. The study thus contributes to the broader understanding of DMs in Spanish discourse and emphasizes the need for continued exploration of (i)diay's pragmatic functions.
Keywords: Discourse Maker, (i)diay, pragmatic functions, discourse coherence, Schiffrin, Fraser, speech acts, speaker intentionality, Costa Rican Spanish.