This book analyzes compliments and compliment responses in naturally occurring talk-in-interaction in German. Using Conversation Analytic methodology, it views complimenting and responding to compliments as social actions which are co-produced and negotiated among interactants. This study is the first to analyze the entire complimenting sequence within the larger interactional context, thereby demonstrating the interconnectedness of sequence organization, turn-design, and (varying) function(s) of a turn. In this regard, the present study makes a novel contribution to the study of talk-in-interaction beyond German.

The book adds to existing work on interaction and grammar by closely analyzing the functions of linguistic resources used to design compliment turns and compliment responses. Here, the study extends previous Conversation Analytic work on person reference by including an analysis of inanimate object reference. Lastly, the book discusses the use and function of various particles and demonstrates how speaker alignments and misalignments are accomplished through various grammatical forms.

Table of contents

Acknowledgements 1. Preliminaries 1–9 2. Methodology 11–25 3. Giving Compliments: The design of first compliment turns 27–84 4. Giving Compliments: Sequential embedding and function of first compliment turns 85–132 5. Compliments in Multi-Party Interactions: third parties providing second compliments 133–166 6. Compliment Responses 167–199 7. Concluding Discussion 201–212 Notes 213–226 References 227–240 Name Index 241–243 Subject Index 245–248