The case of question-based exclamatives: From pragmatic rhetorical function to semantic meaning

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, I analyze the cyclic linguistic evolution of questions via Bardenstein’s ‘persistence principle’ (Bardenstein, Ruti. 2020b. Persistent argumentative discourse markers. The case of Hebrew rectification-marker be-ʕecem (‘actually’). Journal of Pragmatics 172. 254–269) and argue that questions become “polysemous” via a core function. I show that it is the question’s initial rhetorically-recruited function that motivates its semantic change (alongside grammatical and prosodic changes) and it is that function that also persists throughout its history. I focus my analysis on question-based exclamatives whose peresistent function is the speaker’s strong stance and show that this function persists even when the question-based exclamative cyclically evolves into an adverbial NPI (Negative Polarity Item).