Journal Article

Partial intersubjectivity and sufficient understandings for current practical purposes: On a specialized practice in Swedish conversation

Lindström, Jan, Linell, Per

2016

Overview

This paper explores issues of intersubjectivity and shared understanding as they arise in dyadic spoken interaction. Using data from Swedish conversations, we approach the topic by focusing on the functions of a reactive construction that occurs in situations when a linguistic expression (x) has been used in a prior utterance, and this expression is found to be only partially acceptable in the situation at hand. It is therefore reacted to by one of the interlocutors, and negotiated in a new turn initiated by x-å-x, i.e. a unit in which two identical copies of x are conjoined by å ‘and’, and then expanded by a supporting argument. The pragmatic functions of the construction include that of suggesting a sufficient clarification of what should be a reasonable situated meaning and an intersubjective basis for ensuing talk.

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Subject: Comparative Language Studies and Linguistics / Conversation / Dyadic interaction / grammatical constructions / Intersubjectivity / Jämförande språkvetenskap och allmän lingvistik / Languages / Linguistics / Negotiation / Pragmatics / reactive construction / social interaction / subjectivity / sufficient clarification and understanding / Swedish / Swedish language / x-(a)over-circle-x