In Other Words: Variation in Reference and Narrative (Studies in Interactional Sociolinguistics) [Paperback]

Deborah Schiffrin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 2006 | ISBN-10: 052148474X | ISBN-13: 978-0521484749

Deborah Schiffrin looks at two important tasks of language--presenting 'who' we are talking about (the referent) and 'what happened' to them (their actions and attributes) in a narrative--and explores how this presentation alters in relation to emergent forms and meanings. Drawing on examples from both face-to-face talk and public discourse, she analyzes a variety of repairs, reformulations of referents, and retellings of narratives, ranging from word-level repairs within a single turn-at-talk, to life story narratives told years apart.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

This book explores two important tasks of language - presenting 'who' we are talking about (the referent) and 'what happened' to them in a narrative--and how this alters according to emergent forms and meanings. Drawing on examples from word-level repairs within a single turn-at-talk, to life story narratives told years apart, it shows how words, structures and meanings are combined in new ways and re-used in new contexts for new listeners. An invaluable resource for scholars wishing to understand how discourse is shaped and re-shaped over time, place and person.

About the Author

Deborah Schiffrin is Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 390 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052148474X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521484749
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,037,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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