Intersubjectivity in the semantics of some evidentiality markers

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the semantics of the following evidentiality markers in Spanish: claro, desde luego, naturalmente and por supuesto. Based on the analysis of real utterances, we show that the semantic structure of these markers consists of a series of instructions to specify the meaning of the utterance in which they occur, with respect to an essential element of the conceptualization base (the ground): intersubjectivity. We further argue that the meaning effects that these elements provoke in the connection between utterances (the so-called argumentative effects) are derived from this specifying function.