The term“pragmatics borrowing”refers to a conscious use of foreign pragmatic marker within or between utterances.Distinctive pragmatics functions of using the“cross-linguistic”pragmatic markers in online conversations have become a research focus.In a sample of Wechat communication among university students,the English pragmatics marker“em”and its variations occurred frequently.By analyzing its spelling variations,placement,pragmatic meanings and functions,the study indicates that,besides using it as a hesitator,chat participants consciously use this foreign pragmatic marker as a buffer for later utterance,which is usually an apology or a request,to soften the intonation and give the addressee an impression of politeness.
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