Page 16 - Dalle origini ai giorni nostri: convergenze e divergenze tra lingue slave

Paola Bocale

Table 3 Functions of ja ne znaju according to the object complement
Object Functions
Complement
Ø epistemic stance of ignorance and uncertainty
epistemic hedge
marker of reformulation
topic-shift, avoidance of a face-threatening act
enumeration (in conjunction with preceding tam)
clause epistemic stance of ignorance and uncertainty
epistemic hedge
marker of reformulation
topic-shift, avoidance of a face-threatening act
question word epistemic stance of ignorance and uncertainty
NP epistemic stance of ignorance and uncertainty
marker of reformulation (paraphrasing, correction, exemplification,
clarification)

ic positioning with respect to what the discourse is about. This use can
be found across all types of object complementation in contexts where
through ja ne znaju speakers express their non-knowledge of the object

Example 1
U menja dve zamečatel’nych istorii odna naša drugaja
by me two remarkable stories one our another
zamorskaja i obe prekrasnye odna iniciativa nakazyvat’ sažat’
overseas and both wonderful one initiative to punish to put
v tjur’mu na pjat’ let za traty deputatov
in prison on five years for spending deputies
i gosčinovnikov na samopiar
and government. on self-promotion
officials
- Počemu na pjat’?
why on five
- Ne znaju
NEG I.know
- Počemu ne na 15?
why NEG on 15
- 15 èto znaete črezmerno èto sliškom
15 this you. excessively this too.much
know
- I have two wonderful stories. One is ours, the other is overseas. And both are wonderful. One
is the initiative to punish, to put in prison deputies and government officials for five years for
spending on self-promotion.
- Why five?
- I don’t know.
- Why not for 15 years?
- 15, you know, it’s a lot, it’s too much

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