The actuality adverbs in fact, actually, really and indeed - British ...

Proceedings of the BAAL Conference 2007 The actuality adverbs in fact, actually, really and indeed- establishing similarities and differences
Karin Aijmer
context (the adversative meaning). I själva verket (as a
translation of in fact) does not necessarily involve a
contrast but rather that there is more to say (Schwenter
and Traugott 2000: 18), „Pragmatically Q-implicatures
[say as much as you can and no more] are brought into
play and cancelled‟. In other words, in fact2 is used to
cancel the implicature that the proposition is all there is
to say (Schwenter and Traugott ibidem).
I själva verket is closely linked to the original actuality
meaning (what is actually or really the case; cf the
translation egentligen); on the other hand it is never
emphatic and it does not have the meaning surprise.
(3) "Since you mention it, yes, I'd noticed."Celia said
seriously, "The time is coming, in fact it's already
here, when women will do many things they have
n't done before."(AH1)
"Eftersom du nämner det, ja, jag har märkt det."
Celia sade allvarligt: "Den tiden kommer, i själva
verket är den redan här, när kvinnor kommer att
göra mycket som de inte har gjort tidigare."
Schwenter and Traugott (2000: 173) describe actually
as similar in meaning to in fact in the adversative
meaning but weaker in force on the epistemic scale.
This is clear in the following example where actually is
translated as förresten („come to think of it‟) with the
added side-effect of non-importance:
(4) "You don't think she 'll cook cuisine minceur?"
"Fat hope," she said.
"Actually we 'll be lucky if there 's any dinner at
all."
"Why 's that?" he asked.
‟"Oj, tänk om det blir lite men gott -- det franska
köket?"
"Inbilla dig inget", sa hon.
"Vi kan förresten skatta oss lyckliga om det blir
nån middag alls."
"Hurså?" frågade han.‟ (FW)
Really and actually have verkligen as their most
frequent translation indicating that they are used not
only to express a high degree of certainty and truth but
rhetorically to insist upon a point of view and to
control the way a message is understood.
(5) Earth is indeed the best of all worlds for those
who are adapted to it.
Jorden är verkligen den bästa av alla världar för
dem som har anpassat sig till den.
Verkligen (emphasis) and faktiskt (new surprising
information) are distinct meanings However it is the
translator who decides on an interpretation the basis of
the context whether the adverb is used to mark new,
unexpected information or simply to emphasise
something for pragmatic or rhetorical reasons. The
meaning verkligen occurred in the translations of all
the adverbs but is marginal with in fact which is more
closely linked with the evidential meaning surprise and
new information. The following example illustrates
really with verkligen in the translation but actually
could have been used as well:
114
(6) "Well," he said. "All right. If that 's what you
really want."(AT1)
"Jaså", sade han. "All right. Om du verkligen vill
ha det på det viset."
(cf for example if that‟s what you actually want)
In fact and actually would fit less well in the context
because of the implicature that there is more to say (cf
the translation i själva verket‟as matter of fact‟ to
expect mild refutation).
When really and indeed were translated with verkligen,
they seem to be more concerned with the propositional
content than in fact or actually. Really and indeed
unlike actually and in fact were for example also used
as degree modifiers before an adjective. The degreemodifying
use of really was above all found in certain
text types. I will come back to this in Section 5.
The closest equivalents to the core meaning actuality
and reality are represented by translations such as
egentligen, i verkligheten, i realiteten all referring to
actuality (cf Schwenter and Traugott in fact1 ) which
contrasts „with such adverbials as in imagination, in
law and participate[s] in a lexical field encompassing
in practice, in reality, in actuality, etc.‟ (Schwenter and
Traugott 2000: 15).
(7) On Saturdays we get into the car with him and
drive down to the place where he works. It is
actually the Zoology Building, but we don't call it
that. It is just the building. The building is
enormous.
‟På lördagarna sätter vi oss i bilen tillsammans
med honom och åker iväg till stället där han
arbetar.Egentligen är det Zoologibyggnaden, men
så kallar vi den inte. Den är bara byggnaden.
Byggnaden är enorm.‟ (MA)
The synonymy of the adverbs in this meaning can be
further tested by substitution. We can compare:
It is actually the Zoology building.
It is really the Zoology building.
In fact seems to be more marginal as suggested by the
translations (egentligen 1 ex; i verkligheten („in
reality‟) 1 ex; In fact in the same context can come
close. However it is used with counterexpectational or
refuting meaning even if the expectation or belief can
be hard to recover.
It is in fact the Zoology building.
Indeed never occurred with this meaning (cf Oh 2000:
267).
In fact and indeed also have translations which indicate
that the evidential and certainty meaning can disappear.
The new pragmatic meaning is indicated by
translations such as till och med, också, faktum är
(what‟s more, besides, it is a fact that) which are
focalizing. The translations make explicit the
interpretation that the speaker reshapes the message by
signalling that what follows is more precise,
rhetorically stronger, more objective, more appropriate
(cf Schwenter and Traugott (2000)). Cf Schwenter and