Suǒyǐ ‘so’, they are different: an integrated subjectivity account of Mandarin RESULT connectives in conversation, microblog and newspaper discourse

Abstract

Abstract In this study, we analyze the meaning and use of Mandarin causal connectives kějiàn ‘therefore/it can be seen that’, suǒyǐ ‘so’, yīncǐ ‘for this reason’, and yúshì ‘thereupon/as a result’ in terms of causality and subjectivity. We adopt an integrated approach to subjectivity and analyze the subjectivity profile of a causal construction in terms of three features: the propositional attitude of the consequent, the identity of the subject of consciousness (SoC), and the linguistic realization of the SoC. The investigation is based on natural discourse produced in fundamentally distinctive channels, namely, spontaneous conversation, microblogging, and formal writing. Compared to previous studies, the empirical foundation is therefore enlarged and more varied. The results show that these connectives differ systematically from each other with regard to the above three features, and that the differences remain robust across the three discourse types. The relative importance of each feature in characterizing the connectives is also determined. The propositional attitude appears to be the most important subjectivity feature, followed by the linguistic realization of the SoC and the identity of the SoC.