Wednesday 6 July 2016

Presenting Unsupported Claims As A Survey: Contact & Grammar

Martin (1992: 532):
A number of the key realisations for involved and uninvolved contact are surveyed below.

Table 7.12. Tenor — Aspects of the realisation of contact
Contact
proliferation
contraction
[phonology foregrounded]
involved
uninvolved

grammar
minor clauses
major clauses

Mood ellipsis
no ellipsis

Mood contractionno contraction

vocation
no vocation

range of namessingle name

nick-namefull name






Blogger Comments:

[1] The claim here is that:
  • the grammar feature of 'minor' clause construes the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
  • the grammar feature of 'major' clause construes the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).
Minor clauses include exclamations, calls, greetings and alarms; major clauses are the rest: those expressing mood and transitivity.  The claim can be falsified by a concrete example:
  • exclamations, calls, greetings and alarms between people who not previously met are claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
  • the clauses expressing transitivity and mood of married couples are claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).


[2] The claim here is that:
  • the grammar feature of 'Mood ellipsis' construes the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
  • the grammar feature of 'no ellipsis' construes the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).
The claim can be falsified by a concrete example:
  • I'll just get that form signed and sent off for you is claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
  • I'll cook tonight and I'll even wash the dishes is claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).

[3] The claim here is that:
  • the grammar feature of "vocation" construes the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
  • the grammar feature of "no vocation" construes the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).
The claim can be falsified by a concrete example:
  • Was I speeding, officer? is claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
  • I'll be late home tonight is claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).