Abstract

Available from UMI in association with The British Library. Requires signed TDF. ;This thesis investigates indirect reference in German mathematical discourse and the principles of its interpretation. It is specifically concerned with the author's indirect reference to himself and to the immediate and general audience. ;The need to include pragmatics in the analysis of scientific discourse is expressed in the thesis and the rhetoric of science is discussed from the pragmatic perspective. The restricted context of scientific communication and the pragmatic characteristics of the latter are described. ;The predicate frame model, based on the principle of verb centrality and employing the notion of prototypical participants, is introduced. The indirectly referring expressions are interpreted in terms of the model. A restricted set of prototypical participants is analysed and further related to the concept of the context-specific discourse roles. It is argued that in the restricted context of mathematical discourse, indirectly referring expressions, traditionally labelled as impersonal or indefinite-personal, are assigned definite-personal interpretations. ;Further, the reference-supporting and reference-switching function of deictic elements is discussed in terms of the predicate frame model and discourse roles. Particular emphasis is put on reference switching in the case of indefinite and generalised pronouns. The hierarchical structure of the system of indirect reference is described and commented on. ;Finally, the possible applications of the model are presented and some lines of further research are suggested