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10 - Action Ascription and Action Assessment

Ya-Suffixed Answers to Questions in Mandarin Conversation

from Part II - Practices of Action Ascription

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2022

By
Yaxin Wu  and
Guodong Yu
Edited by
Arnulf Deppermann  and
Michael Haugh
Arnulf Deppermann
Affiliation:
Universität Mannheim, Germany
Michael Haugh
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
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Summary

Taking conversation analysis as its research method, this study investigates the interactional import of the turn-final particle ya in answers to questions in Mandarin conversations. Parasitic on answers to questions, the particle ya is not a syntactically and semantically required component of the turn. The interactional role played by the particle ya in this sequential position is to ascribe collateral effects to or the specific property of the action ascribed, namely, questioning. Specifically speaking, the particle ya does the work of assessment. It is a practice of assessing the prior question as being inapposite, inappropriate or problematic in terms of its presupposition or moral judgement. At the same time, in terms of displaying affect, the particle ya is also a practice of expressing annoyance by the answerer. More generally, this study draws researchers’ attention to the investigation of affect display and action assessment by means of turn-design.

Keywords

action assessmentsecondary actionsparticlesMandarin Chineseconversation analysis
Type
Chapter
Information
Action Ascription in Interaction , pp. 234 - 255
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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