Chaucer's 'As' and the Loose Fit of Meaning

Author / Editor
Murtaugh, Daniel M.

Title
Chaucer's 'As' and the Loose Fit of Meaning

Published
Chaucer Review 44 (2010): 461-70.

Description
When used in direct discourse, "as" often functions as a "discourse particle" in a manner similar to "the multivalent 'like' that seasons the more youthful dialects of Modern English." Such words allow interlocutors to convey meanings while not completely committing to them.

Chaucer Subjects
Language and Word Studies.