Involvement and the Japanese interactive particles ne and yo

Abstract

Involvement is seen as a prerequisite to the success of any conversational encounter; it is a fundamental element in creating and maintaining an interactional exchange. Invoking the initial spirit of the notion ‘involvement’, the current study aims to investigate the interactive nature of the Japanese particles ne and yo, and to shed light on some issues of interactional exchange in spoken conversation. The study argues that the particles commonly share the function of signalling the speaker's attitude in order to invite the involvement of the conversation partner. Yet, ne and yo differ in their way of inviting the partner's involvement. Ne invites the partner's involvement in an ‘incorporative’ manner, by which the speaker is committed to align with the partner with respect to the contents and feeling conveyed in the utterance. On the other hand, yo invites the partner's involvement in a ‘monopolistic’ manner, by which the speaker is committed to enhance his/her position as the deliverer of the utterance content and his/her feeling toward the partner. On the basis of the particles’ interactive nature, other relevant phenomena, including their effect in expressions of request, are also discussed.