Essay On Grammaticalization

Kind of: From a Noun Construction to a Discourse Marker

Abstract: This study investigates the various uses of a kind of, ranging from a noun construction equivalent to a type of to a discourse marker with interpersonal or textual meaning, and special emphasis is laid on the differences between its nominal qualifying and adverbial uses and its peculiarity as a discourse marker. Grammaticalization underlies the different uses and their co-existence. There is a close correspondence between its form and meaning, and on the other hand, the proper interpretation of the different uses depends on the context.

Key words: a kind of, grammaticalization, nominal qualifier, adverbial, discourse marker

1. Introduction
(A)kind of/sort of occurs with a significantly high frequency in spoken English. There

(1) I still have a kind of suspicion about it. (COB5)
(2) a kind of reddish-brown color (LDCE5)
As to “a kind of a NP”, in some previous research (e.g. Kay, 1997, Fetzer 2009, Aijmer 2002), it is not explicitly stated that whether it is accepted or not. Kay (1997:145), for instance, argues that kind of/sort of as a “hedge”, is “not to be confused with the corresponding nonconstituent sequence of noun and preposition”. The difference is found in the following example: (3) a. A mastodon is a kind of (? an) elephant. b. A mastodon is kind of an elephant.
In the noun-preposition sequence, such as (3) a, a determiner always precedes the singular noun kind or sort, while with the discourse marker there is no preceding determiner. A kind of here is obviously taken as a noun followed by a preposition meaning a type of. But in (3) a, should elephant be preceded by the indefinite