Chapter 7. A-prefaced responses to inquiry in Japanese

This study explores the stances communicated by two turn-initial particles in Japanese, a and eh , when they are used to preface responses to inquiry. The particle a comes close in its usage to oh in English and is often used to acknowledge the receipt of new and/or unexpected information. Eh is similar to a in that it indicates that the information being received is unexpected; however, it is often employed in contexts where its producer problematizes or resists what the prior speaker has just said, such as in other-initiated repair and disagreements. We compare the workings of these two particles in the context of prefacing responses to inquiry and show that, while a -prefaced responses generally embody moves that are affiliative with the prior speaker, eh -prefaced responses convey more disaffiliative stances. Based on our findings, we suggest that there is a division of labor between a -prefacing and eh -prefacing of question responses in Japanese and that what is performed by one particle in one language ( oh in English) may be carried out by two particles in another ( a and eh in Japanese).