A CONSTRUCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE THERE SPEAK EXPRESSION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CONTEXT

Abstract

Conventional wisdom would indicate that the verb speak cannot be used in deictic there constructions, which supposedly only allow for existence and motion predicates. However, this semantic constraint fails to account for the acceptability of the verb-specific there speak construction. Therefore, this study provides a detailed investigation of contextual situations to identify appropriate conditions in which this unique construction can be felicitously used along with a consideration of its pragmatic and intersubjective functions. Thus, the study emphasizes both the role of the particular verb and the critical significance of context in accounting for the there speak construction.