Keywords
pragmatic function
polyfunctionality
definitional gloss
conversational formula
How to Cite
Abstract
Our proposal forms part of a larger research programme in lexicography that seeks to describe conversational formulae involving pragmatic functions. Such an undertaking is particularly challenging when viewed from a contrastive perspective. Although its value has sometimes been questioned, the definitional gloss remains an essential element of lexicographical work: this leads the lexicographer to develop a better understanding of intralinguistic polyfunctionality and provides crucial information that allows for comparison with expressions in other languages. Using the French formulae ‘je suis désolé’ / ‘désolé’ and the Polish formula ‘przepraszam’ as examples, we will present our methodology for writing definitional glosses for this type of formula.
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