Locally contingent categorization in discourse

Abstract

Most investigations into the nature of categories have been concerned with lexicalized categories—that is, those that are encoded as a single, lexical item (bird, furniture). This study investigates the creation and interpretation of nonlexicalized categories within discourse, as indicated by the use of general extenders (Do they have good restaurants and stuff. He didn't howl or anything). Such categories are locally contingent, depend on contextually salient features for identifying similarity among members, and can be created through contrast or contiguity. Often subject to negotiation, these discourse‐generated categories clearly depend on assumptions of intersubjectivity for their co‐construction and interpretation.

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