Pragmatic function of Japanese mimetics in the spoken discourse of varying emotive intensity levels

Abstract This study explores how the use of Japanese mimetics correlates with the emotive level of different spoken registers. Emotive levels in discourse vary in terms of emotive intensity determinants, i.e., Subjectivity, Politeness, and Involvement. Three role-plays (SELF, GOSSIP, and POLICE) and one monologue (REPORT) were systematically compared for the analysis. The use of mimetics positively correlated with the emotive intensity level of discourse in the order of SELF as the highest, followed by GOSSIP and POLICE. Subjectivity and Involvement levels were also found to be significant for the frequency of mimetics in conjunction with emotive intensity level; however, the Politeness level was not. A further breakdown of lexical, phonological, and morpho-syntactic aspects of mimetics, as well as discourse structure, was examined in conjunction with the emotive intensity level. The variables that positively correlated with a higher intensity of emotivity of discourse were: gi-jyoo-go (psychomimes) in lexical taxonomy; the use of single independent mimetics and verbs in morpho-syntax; long vowels, final glottalization, and middle geminations in phonetics; and high emotive intensity level of response to the speech turn including mimetics in discourse structure. However, the nominal use of mimetics was found to negatively correlate with emotive intensity level of discourse.

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