Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT: Chinese buran , literally meaning 'not so,' can be a marker of negative conditionality expressing the speaker's (un)desirability toward some event and can be used to introduce a proposal or suggestion. Although many studies have analyzed buran , most of them have examined its usage in written texts and have focused on its meaning and/or functions as a negative conditional conjunct. In conversation, buran frequently co-occurs with questions in "nonconventional uses" and as such deserves closer attention. This study attempts to explore both the conventional and nonconventional uses of buran in casual conversation. The data show that buran can indicate a wide range of alternativeness, from absolute opposition to relative opposition. Specifically, as a marker of negative conditionality, buran provides a nonevent that might take place to highlight the significance of a real event in a preceding proposition. As a marker of alternativeness and a device for making suggestions, buran can be used to open up semiotic space for alternative interpretations. Additionally, buran can appear in a non-aligned, contesting context when there is a need to negotiate common ground between the speaker and the hearer. Moreover, buran can serve as a marker of mock impoliteness to express insincere politeness. 摘要: 摘要 华语"不然"在古代汉语有"不是如此，不是这样"的意思。它后来 发展出"如果不是这样"的意思，表示前面叙述了一种情况，反过来 的另一种情况就不是这样了，为一否定条件句的标志。"不然"也有 一些变体，如"要不""要不然"和"再不然"。它常被使用于表达 说话者对某一事件的"(不)称心如意"和选择性以表示提议或建议。 本研究旨在探究"不然""要不然"和"要不"出现于日常会话的 特色。研究采用 Halliday (1994) 语言的三个元功能作为分析架构，即 "表义/概念功能""语篇功能"和"人际功能"，特别探究它的语篇 功能和人际功能。研究发现，"不然"及其变体在日常会话中常作言 谈标记使用，除了可表达对某一事件的"(不)合意性"、提议或建议， 也被说话者使用作为虚假的不礼貌标记，听起来像调侃，以示说话者 与听话者关系亲密或熟识。
Source: Journal of Chinese linguistics
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: National Science Council
Award: G3006427632
OpenAlex ID: W4409460835