Suǒyǐ ‘so’, they are different: an integrated subjectivity account of Mandarin RESULT connectives in conversation, microblog and newspaper discourse

Hongling Xiao,Wilbert P M S Spooren,Ted J M Sanders,Fang Li

doi:10.1515/ling-2021-0118

Abstract

Abstract In this study, we analyze the meaning and use of Mandarin causal connectives kějiàn ‘therefore/it can be seen that’, suǒyǐ ‘so’, yīncǐ ‘for this reason’, and yúshì ‘thereupon/as a result’ in terms of causality and subjectivity. We adopt an integrated approach to subjectivity and analyze the subjectivity profile of a causal construction in terms of three features: the propositional attitude of the consequent, the identity of the subject of consciousness (SoC), and the linguistic realization of the SoC. The investigation is based on natural discourse produced in fundamentally distinctive channels, namely, spontaneous conversation, microblogging, and formal writing. Compared to previous studies, the empirical foundation is therefore enlarged and more varied. The results show that these connectives differ systematically from each other with regard to the above three features, and that the differences remain robust across the three discourse types. The relative importance of each feature in characterizing the connectives is also determined. The propositional attitude appears to be the most important subjectivity feature, followed by the linguistic realization of the SoC and the identity of the SoC.

Highlights

Discourse is not an arbitrary set of utterances but the mental representation of the utterances that are interrelated, or coherent, in Hobbs’ (1979) term
The first asks whether the connectives differ systematically with respect to their prototypical behaviors in term of subjectivity, the notion of which has been operationalized in terms of three features “the propositional attitude of the result segment”, “the identity of the subject of consciousness (SoC)” and “the linguistic realization of the SoC”, and whether the prototypical profile of each connective remains robust across three different discourse types: naturally occurring conversations, microblog messages and newspaper texts
It was based on an adapted model of analysis that integrated three subjectivity features, namely, the propositional attitude of the consequent, the identity of the SoC, and the linguistic realization of the SoC

Summary

Introduction

Discourse is not an arbitrary set of utterances but the mental representation of the utterances that are interrelated, or coherent, in Hobbs’ (1979) term. People do not generally interpret the two segments in Example (1a) below as presenting two independent events. They identify a causal relation between the two: the first segment “it is going to be a nice day tomorrow” acts as the reason for the following segment “you are lucky”. The causal relation can be more explicitly illustrated via (1b) or (1c). It is going to be a nice day tomorrow. C. You are lucky, because it is going to be a nice day tomorrow

Results

Discussion

Conclusion