quotationbearing

Quotationbearing is a neologism used in linguistic and literary discussion to describe a unit of text that carries direct quotation material. It refers to a segment in which quoted speech is embedded or signaled, either typographically with quotation marks or narratively through quotative framing in the surrounding discourse.

Etymology and scope: The term combines quotation with bearing, meaning to carry or carry within. It is not widely standardized and has appeared in a small number of studies and commentaries since the early 21st century. Its use is primarily in analytical or descriptive contexts rather than in formal typography or grammar descriptions.

Definition and features: Quotationbearing encompasses direct quotations embedded within a larger sentence, as in a reporting clause or within dialogue, as well as quoted fragments within narratorial or descriptive text. It emphasizes the act of bearing a quotation—the way a text holds, frames, or presents quoted material—rather than the content of the quotation alone. Punctuation marks such as quotation marks, as well as quotative verbs (say, claim, report), contribute to quotationbearing by signaling the source and boundaries of the quoted material.

Functions and analysis: In discourse and stylistic analysis, identifying quotationbearing units helps map voice ownership, stance, and the layering of perspectives. It can be useful for corpus annotation, stylistic profiling, and studies of reporting verbs. Distinctions are sometimes drawn between hard quotationbearing (verbatim quotes with quotation marks) and soft quotationbearing (indirect quotes or irony-indicating uses like scare quotes).

Examples: The scientist concluded, "The results are inconclusive," a clear instance of quotationbearing within a larger sentence. In fiction, a narrator may insert a character’s line as, "I can’t go on," to show voice layering and quotationbearing in the text.