Connectives and Discourse Relations

Illustrated with examples from a rich range of languages and genres, this book provides a state-of-the-art introduction to the meanings and functions of connectives, and the discourse relations they communicate. It begins with theoretical chapters that illustrate the many interfaces present in the study of connectives and discourse relations, using diachronic data to illustrate how connectives incorporate such a wide range of functions in synchronic language use. The second half of the book presents the rapidly growing body of studies that have used empirical data to assess theories of connectives and discourse relations, spanning fields as diverse as discourse processing, first and second language acquisition, and cross-linguistic studies. End-of-chapter discussion questions and lists of further reading are included, along with a comprehensive glossary of key terms. This title is part of the Flip it Open programme and may also be available open access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

Sandrine Zufferey is a professor at the Institute of French Language and Literature, University of Bern, Switzerland. She is the author of two research monographs on the topic of language acquisition and pragmatics, and the co-author of four textbooks. She has also published extensively on the topic of discourse connectives.

Liesbeth Degand is a professor at the Institute for Language and Communication, UCLouvain, Belgium. She is an experienced project leader of international research networks in the area of discourse markers. She has published extensively on the categorization of discourse markers as linguistic expressions at the discourse–grammar interface.