Towards a discourse semantic characterisation of the modal particles in Khorchin Mongolian: A case study of an interaction

Abstract

This study provides a discourse semantic characterisation of the Khorchin Mongolian modal particles within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics. Studies on the interpersonal organisation of interactions are used to make explicit the nuanced distinctions in the interpersonal functionality of the modal particles. Detailed analyses of an interaction involving the modal particles xʊi, ʃϵ, pɐ, and ʃʊ are provided to exemplify such characterisation. It is found that the modal particles are related to the knower roles adopted and assigned by the interlocutors. All the modal particles examined in this study cast the speaker in the role of the primary knower – i.e. the interlocutor who knows the information and has authority over the information. The addressee may be positioned as knowing the information (ʃϵ), or not knowing the information (ʃʊ), or is not positioned in either way (xʊi and pɐ). At the same time, these modal particles also enact engagement with possible alternative viewpoints. While the modal particles xʊi and ʃʊ close down the space for dialogically alternative viewpoints, the modal particles ʃϵ and pɐ open up such space. The discourse semantic approach to modal particles as exemplified in this paper is potentially useful for describing particles in other languages.