Reiteration: at the intersection of code-switching and translation

One of the most studied forms of multilingual language use is code-switching, the use of more than one language within a speech exchange. Some forms of code-switching may also be regarded as instances of translation, but the relation between these notions in studies of multilingual discourse remains underspecified. The present article examines the intersection of code-switching and translation by exploring multilingual reiteration, the phenomenon most clearly intertwined with both code-switching and translation. We reflect on the analytical treatment of reiterations as occasions of code-switching and/or translation by reviewing the use of related terms in previous studies and by examining two sets of data. We analyze multilingual contemporary conversations and early modern drama by employing two separate functional approaches: conversation analysis/interactional linguistics and pragmaphilology/historical socio-pragmatics. Instead of viewing reiteration primarily as a type of code-switching or translation, this study considers it more broadly as an act of repetition, with each case possessing its individual, context-sensitive properties. In particular, the study investigates multilingual reiteration from the point of view of the organizational features of repetition within the larger context of action and discourse.