ote: hiztunaren ziurtasunik eza

• Autores: Joana Garmendia Mugica
• Localización: Gogoa: Euskal Herriko Unibersitateko hizkuntza, ezagutza, komunikazio eta ekintzari buruzko aldizkaria, ISSN 1577-9424, Nº. 12-13, 2014, págs. 7-26
• Idioma: euskera
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Ote: speaker's lack of certainty
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • The aim of this paper is to present some empirical data to support two claims related to the Basque particle "ote": First, that "ote" can be used to make a rhetorical question, even though this is not its only (or most important) function. Second, that "ote" is used in a question when the speaker feels no certainty about the hearer's capacity to answer it. More generally, I explain why the traditional approaches to this Basque particle cannot satisfactorily explain it: A semantic or grammatical analysis cannot do when facing this issue. To finish with, I sketch a pragmatic explanation for "ote", and I defend that only when we adopt a pragmatic viewpoint are we able to grasp the uniqueness of this particle.