Investigating “periphery” from a functionalist perspective

Abstract

Several models of pragmatic markers in initial and final position “outside” the clause are presented, many of them suggesting a sharp divide between periphery “outside” the core clause, and periphery “inside” the core. Characteristics of pragmatic markers often considered to be prototypical are discussed, especially syntactic and prosodic detachability. Evidence from prosody and from the historical development of some pragmatic markers, such as general extenders, suggests that “inner” and “outer” periphery are gradient, and that characteristics of pragmatic markers that are cited repeatedly are weak tendencies associated with a restricted set of pragmatic markers and cannot be used as diagnostics. Crucially, syntactic and prosodic detachability are in some cases not characteristic, nor is initial position.