Evidentiality, Assertional Force and Common Ground Management in Conchucos Quechua

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18441/ind.v40i1.75-96

Keywords:

Conchucos Quechua, evidentiality, pragmatics, discourse structure, common ground management, Ancash, Peru

Abstract

The literature on Quechuan languages describes the enclitics =mi and =chi as markers of evidentiality, with the former indicating direct evidence and the latter marking conjecture or inference. In this paper, I argue that in Conchucos Quechua they can be better characterised as markers of two degrees of assertional force, which the speakers use for common ground management purposes. For this, I present an analysis of semi-controlled conversational data under the question-under-discussion model of discourse structure. Additionally, I offer a preliminary version of how these functions could be formalised in such a theoretical framework using the model of the Table.

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Published

2023-07-07

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Section

Dossier