The divergent paths of pragmaticalization: The case of the Russian particles tipa and vrode

Based on a qualitative and quantitative examination of 2018–2019 online comments in a sizable student group on a popular social network, this paper peruses the various functions of two Russian polyfunctional particles derived from semantically similar sources, tipa and vrode. While the prepositional tipa ‘like’ and vrode ‘like’ are used synonymously as grammaticalized markers of (approximative) similarity and exemplification, the subjectification and pragmaticalization of the two items as discourse particles has followed divergent paths. Both particles pertain to the domains of evidentiality and epistemic modality and are related to certain ‘seemingliness’ and appearance which is contrasted with reality. However, they have acquired niche functions within these broad domains, activating and building upon different facets of the universal category of similitude. Vrode has been established as a marker of uncertainty (quasi-assertive) which implies a particular type of evidence – sensory perception, recall, or information received from other people. Another distinctive function of vrode is marking that an expectation dictated by the situation designated by the particle's host has not been met. Tipa, on the other hand, is used as an approximator, a quotative/reportative, a doubt or falsity marker, a marker of discourse-based inference, or an explanatory marker, as well as a depictive, or a focus device. This paper also reports that the particle tipa, which, unlike vrode, is stigmatized by normative grammars, is underrepresented in comments by women. This especially concerns tipa's most advanced uses – as a voice or stance shifter and a clarificatory-explanatory operator – which are conceptually further away from the original similative meaning. •The study maps the pragmatic repertoire of the Russian particles tipa and vrode as interrelated networks of functions.•These networks of functions are derivable from the conceptual space of similitude.•Functional differentiation has allowed the two items to avoid direct competition for the speaker's selection.•Gender differences in the use of the two markers are quantitatively explored.•The data are drawn from comments in a sizable student group (over 60 000 members) on a social network.