현대 중국어 자연 구어 담화에서 출현하는 ‘一點(兒)’의 사용과 기능

Abstract

Chinese lower-scale intensifier yidian(r) has received much recent scholarly attention. Previous analyses have examined the syntactic functions of yidian(r) in isolated sentences. Despite this wealth of literature, little attention has been paid to the discourse-pragmatic functions of yidian(r) in naturally occurring Mandarin conversation. This study investigates several aspects of Chinese yidian(r) using both qualitative and quantitative methods, including its distributional properties and functions in conversational contexts. This paper has found that yidian(r) carries more interactive and social implications than had been previously proposed by other studies. First, yidian(r) functions as a politeness strategy in directives or offers. Second, in assertive statements, yidian(r) implies the speaker’s strong negative assessment toward the proposition presented. Third, yidian(r) can also carry a speaker’s modest evaluative stance by emphasizing subjectivity. Forth, yidian(r) expresses the speaker’s uncertain commitment to the statement proposed, with an impression on the speaker’s uncertainty. Fifth, yidian(r) can functions as a filler. The use of yidian(r) as a stance marker allows the speaker to convey his/her consideration for the hearer’s face, and it can help to achieve a range of interactional goals. Native speakers of Mandarin Chinese employ yidian(r) in conjunction with other interactive strategies to organize their speech via their recipient enabling mutual intersubjectivity.