Bolden2017a

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Bolden2017a
BibType INCOLLECTION
Key Bolden2017a
Author(s) Galina Bolden
Title Requests for here-and-now actions in Russian conversation
Editor(s) Liisa Raevaara Marja-Leena Sorjonen, Elizabeth Couper-Kuhlen
Tag(s) Conversation Analysis, EMCA, Russian, collaborative action, deontic stance, diminutive morphology, directives, imperative, interactional linguistics, please, politeness, requests
Publisher John Benjamins
Year 2017
Language English
City Amsterdam
Month
Journal
Volume
Number
Pages 175–211
URL Link
DOI 10.1075/slsi.30.06bol
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title Imperative Turns at Talk: The Design of Directives in Action
Chapter 6

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Abstract

This chapter examines interactional dimensions of requests for material objects and other immediate practical actions in Russian conversation, focusing on the most common form these requests take – imperative verb constructions. Even though the Russian language has a rich variety of constructions for performing requests, imperative requests are ubiquitous across situations and settings. This predominance of imperative requests in Russian appears to be quite unique cross-linguistically, as the majority of studied languages use imperative requests less frequently and only under limited pragmatic conditions. Using video recordings of interactions between family and friends, this chapter shows that “plain” – i.e., unadorned or unelaborated – imperatives are a default or unmarked request form for here-and-now actions. This argument is supported, on the one hand, by a numerical prevalence of imperative requests across various interactional configurations, and, on the other hand, by how agreeing responses to different request constructions are produced. The analysis shows that imperative requests convey a presumption of the addressee's compliance and availability, and request responses are designed to corroborate or reassert this presumption, enacting and renewing an expectation of willing and unquestionable assistance. Overall, the study advances our understanding of language‑ and culture-specific variations in the organization of collaboration and assistance in social interaction.

Notes