On General Extenders: Phonetic Reduction, Decategorization and Stuff Like That
On General Extenders: Phonetic Reduction, Decategorization and Stuff Like That

Summary/Abstract: The present study examines multiword expressions which typically occur in clause-final position, having the structure conjunction+NP, and encoding shared knowledge. These constructions are termed general extenders in the literature. When investigated from the perspective of grammaticalization, general extenders are shown to undergo formal changes as a result of morpho-syntactic reanalysis, phonological reduction and decategorization. The grammaticalization framework is also shown to have an impact on their pragmatic behaviour. Under this analysis, these expressions are used to hedge expectations of informativeness and accuracy, functioning as markers of positive and negative politeness.

• Details
• Contents