„Ich sag’ jetzt einfach nö“. – Konversationelle Funktionen der Responsivpartikel nö im gesprochenen Deutsch

Title data

Groß, Alexandra ; Gubina, Alexandra:
„Ich sag’ jetzt einfach nö“. – Konversationelle Funktionen der Responsivpartikel nö im gesprochenen Deutsch.
In: Zeitschrift für germanistische Linguistik. Vol. 54 (2026) Issue 2 . - pp. 305-348.
ISSN 1613-0626
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/zgl-2026-3001

Official URL:

Abstract in another language

This paper presents a systematic, collection-based analysis of the interactional
functions of the negative discourse particle nö in responses to yes/no-initiating
actions in spoken German. Drawing on the methods of Conversation Analysis
and Interactional Linguistics and using telephone and video recordings of naturally
occurring German conversations from the FOLK corpus, the study shows that nö-responses
convey specific interactional meanings. Specifically, they can (i) frame the
initiating turn as problematic, (ii) signal a breach of expectations for cooperative
next actions, or (iii) express a rejection in an affiliative way that signals shared
understanding. The analysis further demonstrates that sequential position, along
with phonetic-prosodic features and bodily behavior, plays a crucial role in shaping
the function that nö fulfills in a given context. Importantly, the study highlights that
nö is not simply a variant of nein but carries its own distinct interactional meaning.

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
Refereed:	Yes
Institutions of the University:	Faculties > Faculty of Languages and Literature > Chair Germanic Linguistics > Chair Germanic Linguistics - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Karin Birkner
Result of work at the UBT:	Yes
DDC Subjects:	400 Language > 400 Language 400 Language > 410 Linguistics 400 Language > 430 German and related languages
Date Deposited:	17 Aug 2026 10:22
Last Modified:	17 Aug 2026 10:22
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/99276