Hata2016
| Hata2016 | |
|---|---|
| BibType | ARTICLE |
| Key | Hata2016 |
| Author(s) | Kazuki Hata |
| Title | Contrast-terminal: The sequential placement of trailoff but in extensive courses of action |
| Editor(s) | |
| Tag(s) | EMCA, Conversation Analysis, Turn-final but, Trailoff, Pragmatic completion, Contrast-terminal |
| Publisher | |
| Year | 2016 |
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| Journal | Journal of Pragmatics |
| Volume | 101 |
| Number | |
| Pages | 138-154 |
| URL | |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.pragma.2016.06.006 |
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Abstract
Highlights
- Trailoff but is sequentially placed to be a possible action completion point.
- The current but-turn is not mere a continuation of the prior talk.
- Trailoff but links the current turn back to the prior talk.
- The co-constructed contrast becomes salient at trailoff but.
- A contrast-terminal may stem from an inherent meaning of but.
In a trailoff environment, the turn-final conjunctional but is typically packaged with an immediately preceding constituent to form a single turn and sequentially displays a possible pragmatic completion point without syntactic completion of a turn (i.e. trailoff but). Utilising a conversation-analytic approach, this article investigates the sequential placement of trailoff but as a contrast-terminal token. In the extensive courses of action in institution settings, trailoff but is observed to facilitate a stepwise sequence-move in the trajectory of talk to pursue pre-determined interactional agendas. This article argues that the current but-turn illustrates: (a) possible completion of contrasting actions rather than just a turn itself or propositions; and (b) the readiness for a turn transition. The but-turn is thus not merely a continuation of the prior talk yet may operate to be a resource for participants to understand action-level completion with a projected contrast made salient, and therefore, no attempts to revisit the contrast are re-projected in a post-conjunctional space.
Notes
