Conversation analysis reveals three distinct interactional functions of the reported speech initiator lí kóng in Taiwanese Southern Min, suggesting its grammaticalization into a discourse particle.
This paper explores the deployment of lí kóng ‘you say’ (LK) as a formulaic reported speech (RS) initiator in Taiwanese Southern Min natural conversation for navigating interactional troubles. An interactional trouble here refers to either (1) a problematic point arising from linguistic errors, misunderstandings, or misaligned assumptions between interlocutors, or (2) an arguable topic related to the ongoing conversational topic. Three major patterns of use are identified, each associated with distinct sequential environments: (1) comprehension checks of a trouble source, (2) indication of misalignment by challenging a prior assertion with a contrastive opinion, and (3) the introduction of a trouble source through a hypothetical quote. The hypothetical cases demonstrate a strong preference for the media register and suggest that LK is developing into a discourse particle for managing conversational problems. This study contributes to the conversation analysis literature by demonstrating how RS functions as a resource for managing interactional troubles in spontaneous discourse.
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Chang et al. (2026) studied this question.
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