Particles and illocutionary semantics

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Abstract
Despite the communicative importance of connective particles and other ‘discourse‐binding’ devices, their syntax and semantics have been paid little attention. The empirical gist of the present paper is the semantic analysis of a number of English connective particles, including those usually referred to as ‘concessive’ and ‘quasi‐causal’. After a preliminary consideration of the methodology of semantic analysis, there is a discussion to discern the outlines of ‘illocutionary semantics’ ‐ the semantic modelling of speech‐acts. Semantic representations for although, but, however, then and since are then developed on the basis of their role as exponents of illocutionary force. The role in semantics of morphological phenomena such as polysemy and recurrent etymologies is a subsidiary theme. Another is the application of developmental studies of child language such as those of Piaget.

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