The Pragmatic Functions of kafū in Jordanian Arabic

This study investigates the pragmatic functions of kafū in Jordanian Arabic, focusing on how a conventionally positive evaluative expression acquires different pragmatic interpretations in naturally occurring interactions. Drawing on Speech Act Theory and Stance Theory, the study analyses about 10 h of conversational data comprising 120 tokens of kafū produced by 30 Jordanian Arabic speakers aged 25–50. The analysis identifies 10 pragmatic functions: praise, approval, admiration, ridicule, annoyance, disapproval, surprise, anger, disappointment, and shock. The findings show that kafū is primarily an expressive evaluative resource whose pragmatic force is shaped by the interaction between its conventional meaning, the surrounding discourse, the speaker’s evaluative stance, and contextual circumstances. While praise, approval, and admiration are compatible with the expression’s conventional positive orientation, ridicule, annoyance, disapproval, anger, and disappointment arise when speakers exploit this positive meaning in contexts that render a literal positive interpretation inappropriate. Surprise and shock, in turn, reflect affective reactions to unexpected information. The study also shows that contextual incongruity plays a central role in extending the pragmatic potential of kafū, allowing speakers to employ a positively oriented expression for negative or ironic purposes without altering its conventional semantic meaning. These findings highlight the context-sensitive and interactional nature of pragmatic meaning in Jordanian Arabic and show how evaluative expressions can serve as flexible resources for constructing stance and affect in everyday conversation.