Japanese turn-final tteyuu as a formulation device

Abstract

This paper offers a conversation analytic study of the Japanese turn-final construction tteyuu as a conversational practice of formulation. Tteyuu is normally used in clausal noun modification, being placed between its preceding clausal component and a following head noun. However, tteyuu also appears to be employed utterance-finally without a following head noun. Through microanalysis of mundane conversation data, this study documents a previously unstudied aspect of the turn-final tteyuu as a formulation device. This study especially focuses on how informing recipients utilize tteyuu formulations to summarize or explicate the gist of some part of their conversations, while indicating their high degree of epistemic access to the formulated information. Furthermore, this research examines what conversation participants accomplish by mobilizing this particular type of formulations. This study aims to contribute to the research of formulation by unveiling how a language-specific item can be deployed as a resource for turn-constructional formatting of formulation.