Author(s)

Si Yanxin ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ College of Literature and Journalism, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

Corresponding Author

Si Yanxin

ABSTRACT

"I'm not saying that" has undergone a transformation process from a core predicate to a discourse marker. As a discourse marker, it enhances the objectivity and credibility of proposition evaluation through metalinguistic negation. However, it also implies that the speaker is making a strong commitment and needs to bear the corresponding burden of proof and explanatory responsibility. The confirmation of this discourse marker mainly relies on the sources of evidence provided in the context (witness, quotation, inference, judgment) and the commitment given cognitively by the speaker. In the process of verbal communication, it can convey a confident stance and counter-expectation or unexpected information. Moreover, it has important interpersonal effects such as building a trusting alignment, performing speech acts, and setting mental delays for the hearer.

KEYWORDS

Discourse Marker; Metalinguistic Negation; Evidentiality; Epistemic Modality; Commitment

CITE THIS PAPER

Si Yanxin, The Confirmative Stance and Communicative Value of a Chinese Discourse Marker. Lecture Notes on Language and Literature (2024) Vol. 7: 116-123. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/langl.2024.070119.

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