Functional Division Between Two Synonymous Markers in Tongling Dialect

Xinyu Zhang

doi:10.30560/ilr.v7n3p44

Xinyu Zhang International Cultural Exchange School, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30560/ilr.v7n3p44

Keywords: Tongling dialect, guoshi, question markers, discourse markers, semantic bleaching

Abstract

"guoshi过是" is a noteworthy form in the K-VP interrogative structure of the Tongling dialect in Anhui province of China, primarily serving as a focus question marker, a propositional question marker, and a communicative question function. In this process, a synonymous but non-graphical marker [k^hɛ³¹] appears, sharing the interrogative marker function with "guoshi" in dialogues, mainly used for propositional and communicative questions. It also adds discourse marker functions. As a discourse marker, its main functions include turn-taking, turn continuation, and interpersonal interaction, among which the interpersonal interaction function is mainly reflected in activating shared knowledge, highlighting the focus of the proposition, indicating communicative states, and self-correction. The use of "guoshi" and [k^hɛ³¹] in natural spoken language is related to semantic bleaching.

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