rhetoricthat

Rhetoricthat is a term used in some contemporary studies of discourse to describe a particular practice of persuasion that foregrounds the assessment of truth claims through that-clauses. The word is constructed from rhetoric and the conjunction that, signaling the grammatical device at its center: the embedding of propositions within that-clauses to frame, justify, or challenge statements.

Origin and usage: The term emerged in the early 2000s in online linguistics forums and in some rhetorical theory discussions; it is not widely standardized. It is applied to analyze how speakers use that-clauses to present statements as derived from evidence, thereby affecting perceived credibility and authority.

Core features: Core features of rhetoricthat include (1) the use of that-clauses to present claims as derived from evidence or precedent; (2) modulation of epistemic stance through modality and hedging within that-clauses; (3) stance-taking via attribution of authority to sources or authorities; (4) interactional alignment in which speakers use that-clauses to address audiences or to deflect counter-arguments.

Contexts: The term is used to analyze political speeches, media commentary, legal arguments, and academic discourse, where the framing of claims as established or assumed can influence reception.

Examples: "The analyst contends that the data indicate improvement." "The spokesperson claimed that the policy would reduce costs." These examples illustrate how that-clauses accompany propositions to organize credibility and accountability.

Reception and critique: Some scholars view rhetoricthat as a useful lens for analyzing how claims are presented as established, while others view it as a niche or debated category lacking broad consensus.

See also: Rhetoric; Discourse analysis; Epistemic modality; Stance; That-clause.