Domain-straddling indexicality - the Greenlandic causative

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Abstract

: From a synchronic point of view, domain-straddling indexicality covers
the ability by one and the same category to function either as an anchoring category – with affinity to the function of deixis – or as a category pointing to mental elements as part of the linguistic context. A nutshell example is the causative mood in Greenlandic, traditionally regarded as a subordinate mood pointing to its main clause context. Clearly, however, verbs in this mood can function as main clauses and indicate not only elements of the linguistic context, but also presupposed features of the situation. Grammatical rules can transcend the sentence-boundary, not only in the sense of relating clauses to each other, but also in the sense of conveying instructions to the reader how to relate them to the pragmatic context of the utterance
Translated title of the contributionIndeksikalsk henvisning på tværs af semantiske domæner - den grønlandske kausativ
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationIndexicality : The role of indexing in language structure and language change
EditorsPeter Juul Nielsen, María Sol Sansiñera
Number of pages24
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company
Publication date2024
Pages231-255
Article number7
ChapterII
ISBN (Print)978-3-11-079143-4
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-11-079155-6
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • Faculty of Humanities
  • anchoring
  • indexicality
  • mood
  • Danish
  • Greenlandic

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