LINGUIST List 14.2912

Fri Oct 24 2003

Books: Discourse Analysis, Spanish: Romera

Editor for this issue: Marisa Ferrara <marisalinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. lincom.europa, Discourse Functional Units: Romera

Title: Discourse Functional Units
Subtitle: The expression of coherence relations in spoken Spanish
Series Title: LINCOM Studies in Romance Linguistics 41
			
Publication Year: 2003
			
Publisher: Lincom GmbH
 www.lincom-europa.com, http://lincom.at	

Author: Magdalena Romera, Universitat de les Illes Balears 

Paperback: ISBN: y3895868159, Pages: 180, Price: EUR 54
			
Abstract:
			
This study addresses the issue of the definition of Discourse Markers
(DMs) in the light of an exclusively functional perspective. The
discourse model adopted is based on the notion of coherence relations
(Sanders et al., 1992; Hobbs, 1990, 1995). Within this framework, two
types of elements are distinguished: Discourse Propositional Units
(DPUs) or discourse segments that bear propositional content, and
Discourse Functional Units (DFUs) or elements that bear primarily a
procedural meaning, transmitting information on how propositional
units relate. DFUs are defined on the basis of functional criteria
alone, i.e., any expressions whose function is to offer information on
how to interpret DPUs is a DFU.

The advantage of this perspective is that it opens up the limits of
the category of DMs: many of the forms traditionally considered DMs
could now be considered DFUs as well, but also, from a functional
perspective, DFUs need not be restricted to pragmatic contexts. This
theoretical framework is used to analyze data from natural
conversations in Peninsular Spanish. The relations expressed by
several Spanish DFUs are studied quantitatively, and the theoretical
relevance of the findings for a general theory of DFUs is also
discussed.

Lingfield(s): Discourse Analysis
			 
Subject Language(s): Spanish (Language Code: SPN)

Written In: English (Language Code: English)

 See this book announcement on our website: 
 http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=7899.