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<blockquote type="cite" cite>Dear ADS:<br>
<br>
Might anyone have some insight into the frequent (written and spoken)
use<br>
of "um," "er" or "well" to call
attention to what is about to be said? For</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>example: "The wounds of the primary
campaign have, um, not exactly healed."</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div>I think Deborah Schiffrin's book deals with this:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000">Schiffrin, Deborah.
1987. <i> Discourse Markers</i> (<i>Studies in Interactional
Sociolinguistics 5</i>). Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. </font></div>
<div><br></div>
<div> And/or Lawrence Schourup's book:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000">Schourup, Lawrence
C. 1985. <i> Common Discourse Particles in English
Conversation</i> (<i>Outstanding Dissertations in Linguistics</i>).
New York: Garland Publishing. </font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000">Lynne</font></div>
<div>-- <br>
M. Lynne Murphy<br>
Lecturer in Linguistics<br>
School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences<br>
University of Sussex<br>
Brighton BN1 3AN UK<br>
phone: +44(0)1273-678844<br>
fax: +44(0)1273-671320</div>
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