On counterfactuality: a multimodal approach to (apparent) contradictions between positive statements and gestures of negation

Abstract

Relying on discussions about recurrent gestures and gestures of negation, in this paper, we aim to demonstrate how the apparent contradiction between negative gestural utterances co-occurring with positive spoken utterances can be explained with the concepts of counterfactuality and epistemic stances, developed in the Mental Spaces Theory framework. To illustrate how gestures of negation can be analyzed as a case of multiple blends and be metaphorically interpreted, we chose three examples of co-occurrences of a positive verbal and negative gestural utterance. Specifically for the discussion proposed here, we selected three videos from the Brazilian TV show “What the hell is this story, Porchat?” (“Que história é essa, Porchat?”). To analyze the data we used the Linguistic Annotation System for Gestures (LASG) and focused on gestural forms and functions, as well as their semantic relation with the speech. The results showed that in all three videos gestures perform a metacommunicative function. Thus, they can be categorized as pragmatic and discursive gestures, realizing specific performative or operational functions. The sweeping away gestures found in two occurrences work on the discursive level to emphasize implicit counterfactuality of the verbal utterance. The throwing away gesture, found in one occurrence, works on the pragmatic level, also to dismiss the positive possibility created by the verbal utterance. In both cases the gesture operates to prevent any possibility of creating an alternative positive mental space, also demonstrating the implicit counterfactuality of the positive verbal utterances.