The Nonverbal Shift In Early Modern English Conversation (pragmatics & Beyond New Series)
by Axel Hübler /
2007 / English / PDF
10.6 MB Download
This is the first historical investigation on the nonverbal
component of conversation. In the courtly society of
16
This is the first historical investigation on the nonverbal
component of conversation. In the courtly society of
16th
th and 17
and 17th
th century England, it is argued
that a drift appeared toward an increased use of prosodic means of
expression at the expense of gestural means. Direct evidence is
provided by courtesy books and personal documents of the time,
indirect evidence by developments in the English lexicon. The
rationale of the argument is cognitively grounded; given the
integral role of gestures in thinking-for-speaking, it rests on an
isomorphism between gestural and prosodic behavior that is
established semiotically and elaborated by insights from
neurocognitive frequency theory and task dynamics. The proposal is
rounded off by an illustration from present-day conversational data
and the proof of its adaptability to current theories of language
change. The cross-disciplinary approach addresses all those
interested in (historical) pragmatics, cognitive linguistics,
cultural semantics, semiotics, or language change.
century England, it is argued
that a drift appeared toward an increased use of prosodic means of
expression at the expense of gestural means. Direct evidence is
provided by courtesy books and personal documents of the time,
indirect evidence by developments in the English lexicon. The
rationale of the argument is cognitively grounded; given the
integral role of gestures in thinking-for-speaking, it rests on an
isomorphism between gestural and prosodic behavior that is
established semiotically and elaborated by insights from
neurocognitive frequency theory and task dynamics. The proposal is
rounded off by an illustration from present-day conversational data
and the proof of its adaptability to current theories of language
change. The cross-disciplinary approach addresses all those
interested in (historical) pragmatics, cognitive linguistics,
cultural semantics, semiotics, or language change.
