Discourse values of Spanish porque in causal tautologies
Abstract
This article aims to analyse the discursive values of tautological constructions with porque that imply, therefore, repetition of the first member: Va a llorar, porque va a llorar / No lo sé porque no lo sé. In these constructions the causal sense is so weakened that it eventually disappears. Based on a theoretical approach to the question of causation, characteristics and types of causal tautological constructions are described and their discursive and pragmatic implications are explained: the evidential tautological causal sentences (Va a llorar, porque va a llorar) mark the certainty of the assertion, pointing to the source of the transmitted information, expressed or implied in the knowledge, beliefs, and expectations of the speaker; tautological causal sentences used to block the reply (No lo sé porque no lo sé) become a strategy to avoid a reactive turn and can be a type of explicature and lead to disambiguation processes to remove the possibility of interpretation of this kind of sentences as pure causal.Downloads
Article download
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.