Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2009
Abstract
The paper discusses two interrelated methodological questions (i) whether, and under what conditions, it is possible to make use in diachronical reserach of the discourse-pragmatic framework proposed by C. Kroon for the basically synchronic analysis of Latin discourse particles; (ii) to what extent it is possible to differentiate between those variations in the usage of discourse particles across different texts which are caused by a diachronic development and those conditioned by other factors.
Several sources of variation in particle usage are examined, namely (i) discourse structure, (ii) the traditions of literary genre, and (iii) individual factors, such as education or sociolectal background of the author.