CHAPTER IV: FIDIGS AD DISCUSSIO
4.1.3 Colon
The third punctuation found is colon. According to the theory there are three functions of colon: to introduce a list, to signal an example of what has gone before, to signal an explanation of what has gone before. Thus, this study found the three of those functions with the additional function to introduce an emerging idea. Below is the detail description of them.
1. Colon is used to introduce a list
This function of colon is the most common usage, for instance
‘Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back
through the purple.’
‘But how do we know which to drink?’
‘Give me a minute.’ (Book 1,p.307)
colon in this data is used to introduce a list of seven bottles which consists of three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple. Therefore according to the type of discourse relation it signaled, colon in this function marks an explanation relationship. The same thing happens with colon in the following example.
‘Let me see ... the Chamber of Secrets ...
‘You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago – the precise date is uncertain – by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution.’ (Book 2,p.164)
In this example the colon is used to introduce the list of the four school Houses are name after the founder which consist of Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. In addition this example imply that once the reader found this mark, there will be an expectation that the next unit of utterance will likely to be an explanation of what has gone before. Thus this mark is categorized in signaling the explanation relationship between the unit of talks.
2. Colon is used to indicate an example of what has gone before.
Colon is also used to indicate an example of what has gone before. In the direct speech of Harry Potter fiction this study only found one application of it. In data below,
’Precisely. Now, we should aim to get in a few good compliments at dinner.
Petunia, any ideas?’
‘Vernon tells me you're a wonderful golfer, Mr Mason... Do tell me where you bought your dress, Mrs Mason ...’
‘Perfect. . . Dudley?’
‘How about: “We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr Mason, and I wrote about you.”' (Book 2,p.12)
Colon is used to give an example of what kind of compliments should be said at dinner. The speaker suggests by saying how about which is end with colon to indicate his suggestion of“We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr Mason, and I wrote about you”. Therefore, we can decide that the use of colon in this state is rarely used by J.K.Rowling in the direct speech of Harry Potter series.
3. Colon is used to indicate an explanation of what has gone before.
Colon is also used to indicate an explanation of what has gone before. This function is also rarely found in the direct speech of Harry Potter series, for
example:
‘And are both your parents –?’
‘My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me: Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather.’ (Book 2,p.264)
colon is used to explain to name me into Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather. That is why it can be said that this function same as the previous function, signal the explanation relationship between those two discourse units separated by colon. However there are also other examples of it as follows:
• ‘But –’
She is your teacher and has every right to give you detention. You will go to her room at five o’clock tomorrow for the first one. Just remember: tread carefully around Dolores Umbridge.’ (Book 5,224)
• ‘As I was saying: today, we shall be practicing the altogether more difficult Vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell –’
‘Hem, hem.’ (Book 5,286)
• ‘This can be easily arranged: I shall speak to the Dark Lord–’
‘I can speak to him myself if I want to!’ (Book 6, 29)
• ‘But how do you do it?’
‘By an act of evil – the supreme act of evil. By commiting murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: He would encase the torn portion –’
‘Encase? But how – ?’ (Book 6, 465)
These examples suggest that the use of colon to indicate an explanation is applied in this series of novel. The type of discourse relation it signaled is explanation due to the function of colon in indicating there will be an explanation of the prior unit of discourse it marked.
4. Colon is used to introduce an emerging idea.
Out of those three previous functions, this study found another function of colon that is to introduce an emerging idea. This study found one case of it in book 6:
‘After Umbridge ?’
‘I told Cornelius there was no chance of it, but the idea did not die when he left:
office. Within hours of Scrimgeour's appointment we met and he demanded that I arrange a meeting with you –’ (Book 6, 334)
In this example colon is used to introduce office which is called as an emerging idea because of its sudden appearance and contain a new idea. Thus this study can put this function into signaling elaboration of the discourse unit it acts upon.