Linguists regularly dodge this question by calling utterances like these "paralinguistic gestures," a fancy way of saying that they communicate but we can't analyze them internally as part of the lexicon, morphologically, or syntactically. Clearly, as Scott has done with his students, they can be treated as discourse markers and have a clear function at that level. By the way, paralinguistic gestures aren't limited articulatorily to what natural languages use in their sound systems. No language uses a pulmonic ingressive airstream mechanism as a part of its phonology, yet in Scandinavian cultures an inhaled vowel sound is a form of backchanneling. One or two languages use bilabial trills, the sound we call a raspberry or a Bronx cheer, although some samples involve the tongue between the lips which is not a linguistic gesture.
Herb
Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of English
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
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From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bruce Despain [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: January 21, 2010 12:50 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: word definitions
Scott,
One could easily add to this list: tsk-tsk, hrumpf, bah, shhh, etc. I think such utterances can be an embarrassment to linguists, in a way. The phonologist can describe them easily enough, but not usually with the regular phonemes of the language! Words are generally defined as consisting in certain strings of phonemes. These utterances seem to convey a certain meaning in the greater context of a conversation, but are seldom written outside of quotations. As you point out they are definitely symbolic in nature. But they generally occur in isolation rather than in the patterns and arrangements that characterize a syntax. Many of the symbols of ASL participate in patterns and exhibit a syntax. Yet the words in ASL consist in elements as distinguished in the visual dimension.
Maybe this is the best way to distinguish: 1) words of English a) have a distinctly phonemic construction, b) they have a syntax; the words of ASL a) are “optinemic,” b) and have a syntax; 3) the utterances in question are a) not phonemic b) nor do they exhibit a syntax. Yet they still belong to the symbolic system of language.
Bruce
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Scott Woods
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 9:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: word definitions
Dear List,
In a discussion yesterday with a rhetoric class, the topic of audible non-verbal discourse markers came up, specifically, the nasalized sounds often written as "uh-huh" and "hhm." We discussed the meanings of these and how they generally had a clear meaning to the speaker and the hearer. A student asked if these were words, and I realized that I wasn't really sure. What makes these either words or not words? We also discussed body language and facial expressions and how some of these had a clear meaning to most people who saw them. In what ways are these fundamentally different from the physical movements used in ASL, for instance, which can be considered words?
Thanks,
Scott Woods
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