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

Abstract

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.