3. Direct speech

By direct speech is meant quoted spoken or written statements which are not formally integrated into constructions. The entire original utterance is quoted, including the original grammatical tenses and persons. By direct speech is meant all quoted utterances, regardless of whether or not they are graphically identified.

At the root node of the sub-tree representing direct speech, the value 1 is entered in the attribute is_dsp_root, even when the direct speech is not graphically identified (see Table 8.1, "Values of the attribute is_dsp_root").

Table 8.1. Values of the attribute is_dsp_root

1

the node is the root node of the sub-tree representing direct speech

0

the node is not the root node of the sub-tree representing direct speech

If no value is entered in the attribute is_dsp_root, it is taken to be 0 .

NB! The attribute is_dsp_root is entered at the root node of the sub-tree of the direct speech, not at the effective root nodes. Thus in the tectogrammatical tree representing the sentence: Řekl: Jdi a už se nevracej. (=He said: Go and never come back.) the value 1 will be entered in the attribute is_dsp_root at the root node of the paratactic structure, i.e. at the node for the conjunction a (=and).

The root node of the sub-tree representing direct speech also has its own value in the attribute sentmod (see Section 7, "The sentmod attribute").

Nodes representing expressions which are constituents of graphically identified direct speech have the value dsp in the attribute quot/type (see Section 19.1, "Text within quotation marks").

Basic rules for annotating direct speech vary according to whether the direct speech is independent or attached to another construction by a reporting clause:

The following sections describe in more detail the representation of constructions with direct speech introduced by a reporting clause. The description varies according to whether or not the direct speech is a modification of a word in the reporting clause. (Section 3.1, "Direct speech as modification of a reporting clause")(Section 3.2, "Direct speech is not a modification of the reporting clause").

In the last section (Section 3.3, "Borderline cases between direct speech and meta-usage") borderline cases between direct speech and meta-usage are described.