Keevallik2021

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Keevallik2021
BibType ARTICLE
Key Keevallik2017
Author(s) Leelo Keevallik, Külli Habicht
Title Grammaticalization, (Inter)subjectification, and Sequencing of Actions: the Estonian Epistemic (Question) ­Particle ega
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, Interactional linguistics, Particles, Estonian, Grammar, Grammaticalization
Publisher
Year 2017
Language English
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Journal Linguistica Uralica
Volume 53
Number 2
Pages 81-105
URL Link
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.3176/lu.2017.2.01
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Howpublished
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Abstract

The paper studies the semantic-pragmatic and syntactic development of the negation verb/word ei + the adverb kaas ’together, also’ into an ­epistemic marker and particle ega. Ega has been described as a coordinating conjunction, a marker of negation and a question word in Estonian grammars and we will show how these diverse usages come together on a timeline from the earliest written sources to present-day conversation. Ega has first been grammaticalized into a conjunction and then into an emphatic epistemic marker indicating speaker certainty as well as opposition with prior discourse. It is now being reanalyzed as a question word in cases where the negative proposition concerns matters that belong to the interlocutor’s area of competence. The study shows that interactional sequencing of actions may provide a crucial clue for the process of (inter)subjectification. It also proposes a novel cline of grammaticalization for a question word, and thus illustrates the benefits of combining the methods of conversation analysis and historical linguistics.

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