#3792. Display of concession: Maa-Prefaced responses to polar questions in Japanese conversation

October 2026publication date
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Journal’s subject area:
Language and Linguistics;
Linguistics and Language;
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Abstract:
This study offers an empirical analysis of the Japanese turn-initial particle maa in the framework of Conversation Analysis. Maa is one of the most used turn-initial particles in colloquial Japanese, and it is typically listed in dictionaries as an interjection meaning “passably,” “probably,” or “for now”. By asking a question, people generally seek information, confirmation, or agreement. In other words, a question poses constraints on what its addressee is expected to do in the next turn. The present study also argues that speakers can respond to a polar question with maa-prefaced turns to negotiate the degree to which they are committed to an action being performed with their turns.
Keywords:
Concession; Conversation analysis; Turn-initial particle maa

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