A relevance-theoretic analysis of Colloquial Singapore English hor

Abstract

Abstract The Colloquial Singapore English or Singlish particle hor has been observed to convey different pragmatic effects when pronounced with either a rising or falling intonation contour. In this paper, I propose, using a relevance-theoretic framework, that hor encodes the procedural content that the proposition it marks is accessible to the addressee, i.e. it can be readily recalled by the addressee. Pronouncing hor with a rising or falling intonational contour then indicates that this procedural content should be interpreted as a question or directive respectively – a rising contour indicates a check on whether the hor-marked proposition is accessible to the addressee, while a falling contour indicates an instruction to the addressee to make the hor-marked proposition accessible. This analysis also accounts for hor’s unacceptability with directives that seek to impose a new obligation on the addressee that requires immediate action, which has not been previously observed in the literature.