remarqu

Remarqu is a term used in discourse analysis and media studies to denote a brief evaluative remark that accompanies a primary statement and signals the speaker’s stance toward it. It functions as a meta-commentary that shapes how the main proposition is interpreted, without altering its propositional content.

Origin and usage: The term emerged in early 21st‑century theoretical discussions of stance and metadiscourse. It has been applied to analysis of political speeches, social media discourse, and everyday conversation, where short annotations—parenthetical notes, hashtags, or brief adjectives—clarify attitude.

Definition and characteristics: A remarq is typically short, consisting of a single word or phrase, and its main role is pragmatic: to cue evaluation, alignment, irony, or emphasis. It is distinct from evaluative language embedded in the main clause, instead functioning as a separate remark about the remark.

Relation to other concepts: Remarqu is related to stance markers, metadiscourse, and discourse markers. It complements, but is not identical to, hedges or boosters, because its primary purpose is signaling attitude toward the content.

Reception and critique: Some scholars warn that remarques can obscure meaning or bias interpretation, while others view them as efficient tools for rapid communication in digital media.

See also: stance, metadiscourse, discourse marker.