ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the major theoretical frameworks that have been proposed to describe the function and nature of discourse markers. The first section describes key characteristics of discourse markers that are generally agreed upon by most theoretical accounts. This includes their non-propositionality, optionality, the fact that they are drawn from a variety of grammatical classes, and the question of the source of their meaning and function. It also highlights the differences in discourse marker description between major frameworks. The following section more practically examines what kinds of lexical items can and should be counted as discourse markers. The chapter concludes with the working definition of discourse markers for the purposes of this study.
