Browsing by Author "Soffner, Martin"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Open Access
Semantic and pragmatic aspects of some particular uses of contrast marking
(2006) Soffner, Martin; Bäuerle, Rainer (apl. Prof. Dr.)
The aim of the thesis is an analysis of the relational meaning of contrast, as realised through the English co-ordinating conjunction "but". Since the analysis is to be based on well-defined contexts, first the essential properties of some selected utterance contexts of "but" have to be described. Then we seek after interrelations between "but" and those properties. In a stricter sense, this thesis is a case study of the use of "but" in answer situations: It is a question which defines the utterance contexts of "but" being considered. The definition of these dialogical contexts is a central concern. A question semantics that seems adequate for this purpose is one which determines questions by way of their possible answers (Groenendijk & Stokhof 1984). In order for an utterance to count as an answer, it has to meet some constraints that are due to the question. In particular, a question context provides a question domain that the answerer has to take into account. The impact of such a domain on the interpretation of utterances is an important aspect. What role might contrast play in a question context in which the exhaustivity condition must be fulfilled? We then turn to a notion of context extended by a superordinate problem (issue). Issues are a speaker's motive for asking a question. There are some descriptive concepts that model this motive for utterances, e.g. Conversational Topic (van Kuppevelt 1996), Question under Discussion (Roberts 1996), and Decision Problem (van Rooy 2003b). A simple model of issue is introduced that involves another kind of domain which differs from the question domain. This kind of domain can be distinguished and described by means of a semantics of counterfactuals (Kratzer 1981a). The notion of perspective is introduced; it is capable of subsuming both kinds of domains, consisting of individuals or of propositions focused by the speaker. The use of "but" also interrelates with the issue-related domain: Contrast can be explained by a shift of perspective; the domain currently focused by the speaker changes in a characteristic way. In a felicitous discourse, the answer can be expected to be aligned with the issue behind the question. If "but" indicates a change of the question domain, then this should also reflect a change of the decision of the issue. So contrast can be said to interrelate with the perspective chosen by the speaker.