Functions of Language - Volume 4, Issue 1, 1997

The paper presents an observation of an intonation pattern that is current in British and American English but which has not received any attention in standard descriptions: a low pitched pretonic followed by a mid level tone. The proposal to be made here is that it systematically carries the meaning of a routine listing of items presented as unquestionably self-evident information to substantiate an argument. The description of the pattern is based on broadcast material.The study presents this pattern in a historical context and claims that it is of recent origin. It also presents it as an additional option in the English tone system, and makes the claim that this new pattern is not confined to RP intonation.

This paper explores the thematic and interactional significance of the quotative marker tte in Japanese comics. The quotative expressions examined are 'meta-quotations', their main function being to self-qualify the quoter's speaking act. Although a similar use is observed in the standard quotation marker to followed by the verbs of saying and thinking, this study primarily focuses on tte that appears independently in casual speech as depicted in comics targeted at adolescent girls. Extending beyond the concept of speech act qualification, I argue that meta-quotation offers a device in Japanese discourse to qualify and manipulate multiple discourse organizational and interactional meanings, including theme presentation, 'pseudo-quotation', and quotation across Speakers* Through tte's function as a metalinguistic device, this study illustrates that language not only describes events and states but also reflexively qualifies the speaker's voice that describes these events and states.