LINGUIST List 22.293 Mon Jan 17 2011 Qs: Polyfunctionality with Discourse/Modal Particles Editor for this issue: Danielle St. Jean <daniellelinguistlist.org> We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate. In addition to posting a summary, we'd like to remind people that it is usually a good idea to personally thank those individuals who have taken the trouble to respond to the query. To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.cfm. Directory         1.     Sonja Thoma , Polyfunctionality with Discourse/Modal Particles Message 1: Polyfunctionality with Discourse/Modal Particles Date: 14-Jan-2011 From: Sonja Thoma <sonja.thomagmail.com> Subject: Polyfunctionality with Discourse/Modal Particles E-mail this message to a friend I am looking for languages that have discourse/modal particles like German and Dutch. Specifically I am looking for languages where a discourse particle can be used in another context (e.g. as focus particle, adverb, adjective, etc). For German (and Dutch), the non- discourse particle generally has lexical meaning, whereas that lexical meaning seems less obvious, bleached or shifted in the discourse particle (generally this is thought to be due to grammaticalization). Examples from German would be: Du bist vielleicht groß! (exclamative) you are PRT big 'You are tall!' (surprise) Er ist vielleicht krank. (declarative) he is maybe sick 'Maybe he is sick' Mach BLOß das Fenster auf! (emphatic) make PRT det window open 'Open the window' Ich mache bloß das Fenster auf. I make only det window open 'I open only the window.' So far I haven't been able to find other languages where a similar polyfunctionality with discourse particles exist. I would be grateful for feedback. Thanks, Sonja Thoma Linguistic Field(s): Discourse Analysis Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue Page Updated: 17-Jan-2011       About LINGUIST    |   Contact Us       While the LINGUIST List makes every effort to ensure the linguistic relevance of sites listed on its pages, it cannot vouch for their contents.