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Research journal "Foreign Languages in Tertiary Education"
ISSN 2072-7607
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Kriukova A. I.

 

Russian particle -ka: new answers to old questions. Pp. 28–36.

 

UDC 81-114.2

DOI: 10.37724/RSU.2026.76.1.004

EDN: EPYIMM

 

Abstract. Although different points of view have been expressed on whether the particle –ka, which is mainly used with verbs, affects the illocutionary force of a directive utterance, researchers currently agree that –ka mitigates it. We propose new arguments to support that the only component of –ka’s meaning is the suddenness of the causation impulse, whereas the feeling of “softening” the utterance arises due to the fact that the pragmatic context of using the particle requires close acquaintance of the interlocutors. We also present a more accurate description of its pragmatics based on two dimensions of pragmatics — power and distance — and show that, depending on the meaning of these two parameters, a statement can be affectionate, polite, neutral, excessively friendly or rude. The identification of two different factors makes it possible to determine that it is distance, not power, that determines the assessment.

Keywords: particle -ka, illocutionary force mitigation, imperatives, directive, power, distance, indirect speech acts, causation impulse, sudden causation.

 

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