Interjections and Emotion (with Special Reference to “Surprise” and “Disgust”)

Abstract

"All languages have 'emotive interjections' (i.e., interjections expressing cognitively based feelings)" (Wierzbicka 1999, p. 276)and yet emotion researchers have invested only a tiny research effort into interjections, as compared with the huge body of research into facial expressions and words for emotion categories. This article provides an overview of the functions, meanings, and cross-linguistic variability of interjections, concentrating on non-word-based ones such as Wow!, Yuck!, and Ugh! The aims are to introduce an area that will be unfamiliar to most readers, to illustrate how one leading linguistic approach (natural semantic metalanguage [NSM]) deals with interjectional meaning, and to start a discussion about an interdisciplinary research agenda for the study of emotive interjections. Examples are drawn from English, Polish, and Cantonese.

Non-spontaneous and communicative emotive interjections

“…What is interesting, however, is that even if we apply functional criteria and limit the research area to emotive interjections, the area still seems to be heterogeneous. Th us, one can observe both emotive interjections that are spontaneous and non-communicative, and emotive interjections that are non-spontaneous and communicative (Goddard 2014;Goff man 1981;Stange 2016;Wharton 2003;Wilkins 1992). Th is heterogeneity poses a fundamental problem for approaches that use functional criteria, and it is this problem that is the focus of this article.…”

“…In some descriptions, they are non-communicative (Fries 1952), in others, they are devices that constitute the essence of communication (Ameka 1992). In some descriptions, they are purely emotive words having no referential content (Quirk et al 1972), in others, they are semantically rich and have a defi nite conceptual structure (Ameka 1992;Evans 1992;Goddard 2014;Wierzbicka 1992;Wilkins 1992).…”

“…Th e task of emotive interjections must be described with a starting point in one of the fundamental features of emotive interjections, namely that they are spontaneous (Ameka 1992;Goddard 2014;Goff man 1981;Jespersen 1968Jespersen /1922Nübling 2004;Ries 1952;Schourup 1982;Stange 2016;Wharton 2003;Wilkins 1992). Spontaneous means that something is happening or is done in a natural, oft en sudden way, without any planning (Cambridge Dictionary).…”

“…Th is heterogeneity has been dealt with in various ways in the descriptions of interjections. Without claiming an exhaustive meta-analysis, one can distinguish four accounts: semantic (Wilkins 1992), pragmatic (Wharton 2003), contextual, typological (Goddard 2014) and contextual, parametric (Stange 2016). In the following these four accounts will be outlined.…”

Forgotten Origins, Occluded Meanings: Translation of Emotion Terms

“…Fabrega (2012, p. 318) assumes that such a theory of arguably "self-evident, selfexplanatory concepts which all natural languages build on" represents the key for understanding, for instance, how humans were able to develop communication about their pain. Goddard (2014) suggests that the NSM also allows including the study of vocal interjections in the analysis of emotions, as they convey emotional meaning. The aim of the scientific work in experimental psychology in the 19th century was to go beyond the alleged self-evidence of Gefühl, Empfindung, feeling, thinking, and perceiving.…”