Evidence for a dialogical grammar : reactive constructions in swedish and german

The present chapter deals with reactive constructions in Swedish and German, especially with two constructions which will be called x-och/und-x (i.e. x-and-x) and 'double initial auxiliaries' (= DIA) constructions. As reactive constructions we define constructions involving the speaker's repetition of an expression x used in a prior utterance by another or by the speaker him/herself. This first segment is followed by a negotiation of the situated meaning of x. The function is to react to or against the previous speaker's way of expressing him/herself, his/her use of the expression x.Our observations confirm a general view of online languaging ( = 'language use'), that utterances are incrementally built. Moreover, our data show that reactive constructions are evidence for a dynamic and dialogical conception of language and languaging, including grammatical constructions.