1887
Volume 29, Issue 1
  • ISSN 0957-6851
  • E-ISSN: 1569-9838

Abstract

Abstract

This study examines the pragmatic functions of in Australian English (AuE), utilising discourse from 12 months of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s television program It explores the frequency of uses in context with a focus on multifunctionality. Uses are classified in a data-based schema which synthesises the previously described pragmatic functions of and locates these within Zhang’s (2015) Elastic Language framework. The article thus provides an understanding of the pragmatic functions of in public discussion contexts within AuE, arguing, most notably, that performs five of Zhang’s six functions, rather than just the two previously reported, and that in accounting for the complex uses of this pragmatic marker, a wider range of subtypes needs to be distinguished within two of the functions.

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2019-05-16
2024-10-05
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): Australian English; pragmatic function; pragmatic marker; sort of; television discourse
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