Tte Yuu Ka as a Repair Preface in Japanese

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates the workings of the phrase tte yuu ka used as a “repair preface” in the context of replacing one formulation with another. We show that the use of tte yuu ka in the operation of replacement self-repair instructs the recipient to hear the repair solution as an alternative that is better suited for whatever purpose the speaker may be pursuing at the moment than the trouble-source formulation, without necessarily rejecting the latter as incorrect or inappropriate. We also demonstrate how this feature of tte yuu ka is used as a resource to accomplish situated interactional work in talk-in-interaction in both ordinary and institutional settings. Data are Japanese with English translation, with a few excerpts of English data cited from published research.