The Predicate mean in Discourse and Grammar

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In recent years, there has been much research on many grammatical constructions from a discourse-pragmatic, interactional perspective. This research attempts to characterize the predicate mean (i.e., the verb mean) in English conversation as a way of understanding the relationship between discourse and grammar. To achieve this goal, it first investigates the distribution of grammatical properties of the predicate mean through distribution/frequency analysis, examining types of subjects and prosodic properties, and so on. Examination shows that mean occurs with the first- and second person pronouns in the majority of cases, that it rarely takes complements (i.e., object NPs, to-infinitive, or that-clauses), and that fixed expressions I mean and you mean frequently occur as independent intonation units. This research also shows that the grammaticalized fixed expression I mean performs the following interactional functions: (ⅰ) to clarify what the current speaker has said in the immediately preceding utterance, (ⅱ) to provide additional information as a way of making clarification, (ⅲ) to stall current speaker's talk, often as a way of doing search for words, phrases, or other appropriate expressions, (ⅳ) to change from the current topic to another one in the local domain, and (ⅴ) to perform an action of making repair, among others. It also shows that you mean is used to make repair, along with the function of seeking confirmation from the addressee. This exploration of interactional properties of the predicate mean shows a close relationship between conversation and grammar, suggesting the need to investigate grammatical constructions from an interactional point of view.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Context of the Research
• 3. Database and Methodology
• 4. Distributional Properties of the Predicate mean in Conversation
• 5. Functions of I mean and you mean in Conversation
• 6. Summary and Conclusions
• References