Pragmatic Marker Functions of Sentence-Final Parentheses in High-Context Online Communication Patterns
Abstract
With the popularization of online social media, a linguistic phenomenon has emerged in Chinese online contexts where parentheses are appended to the end of sentences, which may contain text or remain blank. As a pragmatic marker, sentence-final parentheses primarily undertake two major functions: basic information compensation and upper-level pragmatic adjustment. They compensate for the lack of paralinguistic information in pure text communication and adapt to the communicative needs of face maintenance and emotional expression in China's high-context culture. The popularity of sentence-final parentheses reflects the self-adjustment of language itself to adapt to the new media environment, as well as the deep pursuit of emotional connection by online communities in virtual spaces.
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