Eventive vs. Evidential Speech Reports
Emar Maier (University of Groningen)

October 6, 2017, 10:00am - 11:30am
UConn Logic Group, University of Connecticut

Laurel Hall 108
University of Connecticut
Storrs 06269
United States

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I argue for a distinction between eventive and evidential speech reports. In eventive speech reports the at-issue contribution is the introduction of a speech event with certain properties. Typical examples include direct and free indirect speech. In evidential speech reports, by contrast, the fact that something was said is not at issue, but serves to provide evidence for the reported content. Typical examples include Quechua reportative evidential morphology, Dutch reportative modals, or German reportative subjunctive. Following up on an observation by Von Stechow & Zimmerman (2005:fn.16), I argue that English indirect discourse is ambiguous. In the current framework this means that it allows both an eventive reading, where the reported speech act is at issue, and an evidential reading, where it is backgrounded.

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