The Epistemology of First-Person Reference

1987 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Rovane
Keyword(s):  
First Person ◽  
Person Reference

Self-referring in Korean, with reference to Korean first-person markers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye-Kyung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Role ◽  
Semantic Theory ◽  
Public Image ◽  
First Person ◽  
Grammatical Category ◽  
Primary Function ◽  
Person Reference ◽  
Lexical Items ◽  
Dictionary Definitions

Lee’s chapter provides a corpus-based analysis of Korean first-person markers by examining the semantic and pragmatic features emerging from their dictionary definitions and their usages in discourse. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the use of the grammatical category of a pronoun does not quite fit the Korean data, because the exceptionally large number of the lexical items are highly specialized in their use. While the first-person markers have the primary function of referring to the speaker, self-referring via first-person markers in Korean is mediated by the speaker’s awareness of his perceived social role or public image, which is expected to conform to honorification norms. The author also argues that the situation with first-person reference in Korean supports the view that the indexical/non-indexical distinction standardly adopted in semantic theory ought to be reconsidered.

Expressing the Self

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Mind ◽  
The Self ◽  
Epistemic Status ◽  
First Person ◽  
Semantic Categories ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Person Reference ◽  
De Se ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
Cultural Pragmatics

This book addresses different linguistic and philosophical aspects of referring to the self in a wide range of languages from different language families, including Amharic, English, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Newari (Sino-Tibetan), Polish, Tariana (Arawak), and Thai. In the domain of speaking about oneself, languages use a myriad of expressions that cut across grammatical and semantic categories, as well as a wide variety of constructions. Languages of Southeast and East Asia famously employ a great number of terms for first-person reference to signal honorification. The number and mixed properties of these terms make them debatable candidates for pronounhood, with many grammar-driven classifications opting to classify them with nouns. Some languages make use of egophors or logophors, and many exhibit an interaction between expressing the self and expressing evidentiality qua the epistemic status of information held from the ego perspective. The volume’s focus on expressing the self, however, is not directly motivated by an interest in the grammar or lexicon, but instead stems from philosophical discussions of the special status of thoughts about oneself, known as de se thoughts. It is this interdisciplinary understanding of expressing the self that underlies this volume, comprising philosophy of mind at one end of the spectrum and cross-cultural pragmatics of self-expression at the other. This unprecedented juxtaposition results in a novel method of approaching de se and de se expressions, in which research methods from linguistics and philosophy inform each other. The importance of this interdisciplinary perspective on expressing the self cannot be overemphasized. Crucially, the volume also demonstrates that linguistic research on first-person reference makes a valuable contribution to research on the self tout court, by exploring the ways in which the self is expressed, and thereby adding to the insights gained through philosophy, psychology, and cognitive science.

Du Fay the poet? Problems in the texts of his motets

1997 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 97-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leofranc Holford-Strevens
Keyword(s):  
First Person ◽  
Person Reference

The following observations make no claim to either profundity or finality, but attempt to improve on the texts and translations currently available, to comment on their metres (some rudimentary information being given in Appendix A), and to offer a few conjectures concerning authorship. This last question has interested Du Fay scholars, who generally allow him to be the author at least of Salve flos/Vos nunc: whereas Laurenz Liitteken denies him all else, David Fallows writes that ‘Some at least of his song and motet texts are likely to be by him’, singling out Salve jlos for the first-person reference at the end of the motetus; Alejandro Enrique Planchart, having pointed out that Du Fay's literary talent in Latin was recognised at school with a copy of Alexandre de Villedieu's Doctrinale, would give him some others as well. In principle, a composer may write his own text, like Machaut; or collaborate with a poet, as Du Fay evidently did with Périnet in Ce moys de may, and one Nicholas with one William in Argi vices; or be given a text to set by a patron or employer, as when Du Fay was sent texts from Naples on the fall of Constantinople, presumably including 0 tres piteulx, de tout espoir fontaine (OO vi, no. 10).

scholarly journals Reference in the first, second, and third person

KÜLÖNBSÉG ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Éva Kocsis
Keyword(s):  
Language Use ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Unified Model ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
First Person ◽  
Personal Quality ◽  
Person Reference ◽  
Third Person

We have direct access to our thoughts, therefore we think we can attribute beliefs and actions to ourselves differently than to others. However, linguistic concepts enable us to think about ourselves the same way as we think of others. The research question of the paper is how it is possible to find a unified model of first, second, and third person reference in language use that can allow for the personal quality of first person reference. The paper shows why the ’I’ in first person statements should be seen as a ineliminable item that is not reducible to non-indexic expressions semantically. Also, the paper claims that first, second, and third person references formulated by the same speaker have similar qualities (spontaneity, lack of identification, directness). Finally, the paper discusses the role of perception in these references.

Self-Reference in biomedical research article discussions

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 546-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian A. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Biomedical Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
First Person ◽  
Research Article ◽  
Multiple Voices ◽  
Person Reference ◽  
Disciplinary Diversity ◽  
Self Reference

The aim of this quantitative and qualitative study is to compare inclusive and exclusive self-reference in a bilingual English-Spanish corpus of biomedical research articles. The study combines corpus techniques with move analysis to determine where authors resort to first-person reference in Discussion sections. Quantitative analysis showed that Spanish writers selected between exclusive and mixed inclusive-exclusive perspectives equally whereas the exclusive perspective predominated in the English-language articles. Major differences between languages were observed for overall use and for statements of results, comparison of current and previous findings, and metatext. From a cross-disciplinary viewpoint, biomedical research articles exhibited less self-promotion than previously reported for biology. Qualitative analysis revealed that first-person verbs in English were frequently associated with self-promotion whereas English possessives and all exclusive use in Spanish served to attribute responsibility for statements and to harmonise the multiple voices in the polyphonic discourse of biomedical Discussions. The study provides further evidence for cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary diversity in academic and scientific discourse.

Inclusivity and non-solidarity

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-166
Author(s):  
Mitsuko Narita Izutsu ◽  
Katsunobu Izutsu
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
First Person ◽  
Adequate Account ◽  
Second Person ◽  
Community Or ◽  
Person Reference ◽  
Asian Languages

Some languages use first person inclusive plurals for second person reference. Such usage has often been associated with the notions of solidarity or lesser social distance. However, this line of explanation cannot provide an adequate account for the use of inclusives for second person honorific reference in Ainu, an indigenous language of Japan. Members of an Ainu-speaking community or family have traditionally expressed loyalty or deference to their leader (village or family holder), rather than friendship or companionship. The present paper argues that the usage of first person inclusives for second person reference may be classified into two types: a solidarity-based usage (positive politeness) and a power-based usage (negative politeness) (cf. Brown and Gilman 1960). We aim to demonstrate that the Ainu honorific usage of inclusives can only be explained using the power-based account. A similar power-based honorific usage of inclusives is also attested in some South Asian languages, such as Tamil and Limbu.

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