The The Pragmatic Functions of the Discourse Marker He:k in Jordanian Spoken Arabic

Abstract

This study investigates the pragmatic functions of the discourse marker he:k in Jordanian Spoken Arabic. To achieve this, a list of 22 situations featuring he:k is developed, drawing on its familiarity and multiple contexts in Jordanian society. Each situation is analyzed to determine these functions, which are then reviewed and validated by a panel of jurors who suggest amendments to certain situations and functions. The acceptability of the amended version is tested against the intuition of 110 BA students at the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Arts, UNRWA. Twenty-two pragmatic functions are revealed: expressing doubt, seeking confirmation, expressing excitement and joy, showing vagueness, avoiding repetition, showing indecisiveness, showing approval, expressing despair, exaggerating a situation, hinting, minimizing a situation, insulting, expressing uneasiness, expressing shock and displeasure, expressing admiration, ending a conversation, asking for tolerance, wishing, reassuring, mitigating an assertion, marking threats, and filling a gap.

Highlights:

1- This study provides a novel linguistic investigation by offering the first comprehensive analysis of the discourse marker he:k in Jordanian Spoken Arabic.

2- The research highlights the functional versatility of the marker by identifying and validating 22 distinct pragmatic functions, ranging from seeking confirmation to marking threats.

3- Through a multimodal analysis, the paper demonstrates how the meaning of he:k is heavily reliant on dynamic contexts, such as intonation, facial expressions, and gestures.

4- The study maintains methodological rigor by validating findings through a panel of linguistic experts and a survey of 110 native speakers to ensure alignment with linguistic intuitions.

5- The findings offer sociolinguistic insight into Levantine Arabic by documenting how the marker is used across diverse settings, including social media and daily conversations.