Context and historical (socio-)pragmatics twenty years on

Abstract

Abstract This paper has two purposes. First, it constitutes an exploration of context from the perspective of some prominent historical pragmaticians, and/or as demonstrated by publications which represent/exemplify a particular approach within historical pragmatics (Jacobs and Jucker 1995; Archer and Culpeper 2003, 2011; Nevala 2011; Traugott 2004, 2011; 2012; Jucker and Taavitsainen 2014) as well as related disciplines such as historical sociolinguistics (Nevalainen and Raumolin-Brunberg 2003). Second, it explores my own (evolving) view in respect to context, often in response to the influential work of others, as evidenced in a selection of my work (Archer 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014).