Modification as a linguistic ‘relationship’: A just so problem in Functional Discourse Grammar

Abstract

Abstract This study traces the relationship between two erstwhile separate linguistic elements, just and so, within the framework of Functional Discourse Grammar (FDG). In keeping with FDG’s form-oriented function-to-form approach, the study proceeds semasiologically by, first, examining the uses of relatively independent forms (i.e. the focus particle just modifying so as a degree word and a manner proform), then turning to more tightly-knit structures (i.e. just so as a subordinator of purpose and condition), and finally, looking at the fixed expression just so used as a part of a pragmatic marker. Using data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English and the Corpus of Historical American English, we argue that the different meanings of just so raise a number of issues related to the analysis of modification in FDG, namely the status and function of the modifier just in the constructions under discussion and the concomitant representation of so. Furthermore, the analysis shows that FDG can model very precisely the interplay of semantic and pragmatic information in the stages when just so is still compositional, with just providing interpersonal (i.e. pragmatic) and so representational (i.e. semantic) information, as well as its development into the non-compositional and purely pragmatic discourse marker just so you know.