Keywords: Estonian language, corpus pragmatics, discourse markers, register variation
The use of Estonian CTP-markers (ma) arvan (et) ‘I think that’, (ma) usun (et) ‘I believe that’, (ma) loodan (et) ‘I hope that’, (mulle) näib (et) ‘it seems to me that’, (mulle) tundub (et) ‘it feels to me that’, (mulle) paistab (et) ‘it looks to me that’ was analysed in everyday conversation, oral institutional communication, prose fiction, the press, scientific research, online chats and online comments. It was revealed that:
1) Compared to others, (ma) arvan (et) occurs very often.
2) The marker (ma) arvan (et) dominates in oral registers, exceeds the frequency of others in online registers, and appears relatively equally in print registers.
3) As for co-occurring pronouns, arvan usually takes one, while loodan and usun are split in half, and tundub, näib and paistab prefer dropping the pronoun altogether.
4) CTP-markers consisting of a verb only are extremely rare.
5) In oral interaction, arvan and tundub can often be used further down the sentence or clause, whereas the rest are usually found in sentence beginning, whatever the register.
Across registers, the use of CTP-markers falls into three types:
1) Oral communication uses plenty of markers, which are dominated by (ma) arvan (et) and many of which have been shifted further down the sentence.
2) Online texts make profuse and varied use of markers, but they split in two as far as marker shift is concerned, notably, online chats, which have relatively many shifted markers, vs online comments, where marker shift is relatively rare.
3) Print texts use a small number but diverse markers, being also divided in half shiftwise: prose fiction with more marker shift vs journalistic and science texts.
The main consituative conditions affecting the frequency, morphological choices and position of the markers are text production in dialogue and in real time, which enhance the number of markers, the tendency of keeping to a single marker, and marker shift further down the sentence (or clause). In addition, there are certain factors depending on text structure such as conversation and imitation of dialogue in fiction, which also contribute to the number and onward shift of markers.
Morphologically speaking, the marker with the highest pragmatic status is arvan, while usun and loodan are less high and the lowest on the scale are tundub, näib and paistab. In terms of positional variation it is arvan and tundub that seem to enjoy the highest pragmatis status. The sequence (ma) arvan (et) is a general marker, which has many functions and can be used in place of other CTP-markers.
Tiit Hennoste (b. 1953), PhD, University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Associate Professor (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), tiit.hennoste@ut.ee
Külli Habicht (b. 1964), PhD, University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Associate Professor (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), kulli.habicht@ut.ee
Helle Metslang (b. 1950), PhD, University of Tartu, Professor Emerita (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), helle.metslang@ut.ee
Külli Prillop (b. 1974), PhD, University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Researcher (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), kulli.prillop@ut.ee
Kirsi Laanesoo (b. 1984), PhD, University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Researcher (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), kirsi.laanesoo@gmail.com
Liina Pärismaa (b. 1988), MA, University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Junior Researcher (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), liinaparismaa@gmail.com
Elen Pärt (b. 1988), MA, University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Doctoral Student (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), elen.p2rt@gmail.com
Andra Rumm (b. 1991), PhD, University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Lecturer and Researcher (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), andra.rumm@ut.ee
Andriela Rääbis (b. 1966), PhD, University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Researcher (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), andriela.raabis@ut.ee
Carl Eric Simmul (b. 1991), MA, University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Junior Researcher (Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu), simmulman@gmail.com
