Appellative function of the discourse marker venga in Twitter

Abstract

Discourse marker venga is used in Twitter in non-reactive interventions in order to cheer up or present a request, and in reactive interventions to express disagreement, values derived from its initial imperative use. Venga mainly holds the first position in the statement and is used, especially, to cheer up in statements with positive politeness. Thus, this marker strengthens social relationships. The pragmatic force of the illocutionary act depends on the more or less effective value of the intensifiers that go with the marker in each communicative situation: implicative vocative and certain imperative expressions are the main intensifiers of the appellative function. Nevertheless, appellative function is reduced in ironic statements. Other co-occurrence discourse markers with venga—vamos, va, anda and pues—intensify mostly mood (Venga, vamos / Vamos, venga), request (Venga va / Pues venga) or disagreement (Venga, anda / Anda, venga).