Thomas Maloryのアーサー王物語群における談話標識

概要

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There has been a good deal of discussion on discourse markers in the light of historical semantics,pragmatics and grammaticalization for these twenty years.For our regret ,how-ever,few attempts were made to prove their literal effects on individual medieval work.This article inquires into the various functions of discourse markers found in Thomas Malo-ry's Morte D'Arthur,BOOK I to X "King Mark".It first states an objective of this investiga-tion quoting from some previous researches. Section 2 takes up specific discourse markers;well,also,so,thus,now,then,which are grouped into three to maintain my point of view based on the term foreground and background. Section 3 we shall examine each marker in the context.For its parataxis this prose seems monotonous at first glance,though each marker has highlighting and sequentialising effect to make the reader/audience fascinate. Section 4 compares their usage with one in Caxton edition and alliterative verse.This comparison may manifest Malory exploited discourse markers for narrative constituents. Although his prose-style seems at first sight unsophisticated to the present-day reader,paratactic structures demonstrate their own stylistic strengths,supported by various kinds of discourse markers.