German bloss-questions as extreme ignorance questions

Title: German bloss-questions as extreme ignorance questions
Source document: Linguistica Brunensia. 2020, vol. 68, iss. 1, pp. 7-22
Extent
7-22
  • ISSN
    1803-7410 (print)
    2336-4440 (online)
Type: Article
Language
 

Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.

Abstract(s)
We analyze German bloss as a marker of extreme ignorance questions Q, basically indicating that the speaker has dismissed answers to Q that she initially considered likely. We argue that bloss in questions is used in three varieties that all play on this common theme. The analysis can predict that bloss questions are not synonymous to wh-in-heaven ignorance questions, even though the two question types are similar in pragmatic content.
Note
Research was funded by the DFG as part of the Forschungsgruppe 2111 "Questions at the Interfaces" (Konstanz).
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