An interactional account of exaggeration in everyday conversation
Seitanidi, Eleni LU
; Pöldvere, Nele
LU
and Paradis, Carita
LU
(2026)
In Trends in Linguistics
394.
p.81-111
- Abstract
- This qualitative study analyses exaggeration in natural conversation from a dialogic perspective using data from the London–Lund Corpus 2 (LLC–2). We define exaggeration as an extreme degree on a scale, e.g., my bag weighs a ton. degree is central to our definition of exaggeration, which involves scaling a gradable property up, or down, to a level that comes across as counterfactual or inappropriate. The referent may be construed either as a point on a scale, e.g., excellent vs. disastrous, or as an either-or contrast that highlights opposite poles, e.g., dead vs. alive. We analyse the constructions (i.e., form–meaning pairings) speakers use in order to overemphasise a point and how they negotiate exaggeration in spoken interaction.... (More)
- This qualitative study analyses exaggeration in natural conversation from a dialogic perspective using data from the London–Lund Corpus 2 (LLC–2). We define exaggeration as an extreme degree on a scale, e.g., my bag weighs a ton. degree is central to our definition of exaggeration, which involves scaling a gradable property up, or down, to a level that comes across as counterfactual or inappropriate. The referent may be construed either as a point on a scale, e.g., excellent vs. disastrous, or as an either-or contrast that highlights opposite poles, e.g., dead vs. alive. We analyse the constructions (i.e., form–meaning pairings) speakers use in order to overemphasise a point and how they negotiate exaggeration in spoken interaction. Approaching exaggeration from an interactive perspective, we use the dialogic sequence as the identifier of exaggeration taking into account the hearer’s response, which must express skepticism or incredulity towards the previous speaker’s assertion. We adopt a Cognitive Linguistics and dialogic Construction Grammar approach, and we draw on resonance to account for how speakers negotiate exaggeration. We show that speakers in our data use nine constructions when they exaggerate. Exaggeration occurs more frequently in conversations among equals, which contain more direct challenges compared to conversations among disparates where speakers use exaggeration not to offend. The dialogic approach provides insight into how speakers exploit degree and construe scale, which is the basis of exaggeration, by building on each other’s contributions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/84794660-9891-446b-b8dd-c1b2af5fb6ff
- author
- Seitanidi, Eleni
LU
; Pöldvere, Nele
LU
and Paradis, Carita
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- host publication
- Language in Social Interaction : Studies in Interaction Management, Social Behaviour and Grammar in Interaction - Studies in Interaction Management, Social Behaviour and Grammar in Interaction
- series title
- Trends in Linguistics
- editor
- Haselow, Alexander and Kaltenböck, Gunther
- volume
- 394
- pages
- 81 - 111
- publisher
- Mouton de Gruyter
- ISSN
- 2199-3734
- 1861-4302
- ISBN
- 9783111508634
- 9783111509105
- DOI
- 10.1515/9783111509105-004
- project
- Aspects of Spoken Dialogue
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 84794660-9891-446b-b8dd-c1b2af5fb6ff
- date added to LUP
- 2026-03-30 12:06:07
- date last changed
- 2026-04-01 03:15:48
@inbook{84794660-9891-446b-b8dd-c1b2af5fb6ff,
abstract = {{This qualitative study analyses exaggeration in natural conversation from a dialogic perspective using data from the London–Lund Corpus 2 (LLC–2). We define exaggeration as an extreme degree on a scale, e.g., my bag weighs a ton. degree is central to our definition of exaggeration, which involves scaling a gradable property up, or down, to a level that comes across as counterfactual or inappropriate. The referent may be construed either as a point on a scale, e.g., excellent vs. disastrous, or as an either-or contrast that highlights opposite poles, e.g., dead vs. alive. We analyse the constructions (i.e., form–meaning pairings) speakers use in order to overemphasise a point and how they negotiate exaggeration in spoken interaction. Approaching exaggeration from an interactive perspective, we use the dialogic sequence as the identifier of exaggeration taking into account the hearer’s response, which must express skepticism or incredulity towards the previous speaker’s assertion. We adopt a Cognitive Linguistics and dialogic Construction Grammar approach, and we draw on resonance to account for how speakers negotiate exaggeration. We show that speakers in our data use nine constructions when they exaggerate. Exaggeration occurs more frequently in conversations among equals, which contain more direct challenges compared to conversations among disparates where speakers use exaggeration not to offend. The dialogic approach provides insight into how speakers exploit degree and construe scale, which is the basis of exaggeration, by building on each other’s contributions.}},
author = {{Seitanidi, Eleni and Pöldvere, Nele and Paradis, Carita}},
booktitle = {{Language in Social Interaction : Studies in Interaction Management, Social Behaviour and Grammar in Interaction}},
editor = {{Haselow, Alexander and Kaltenböck, Gunther}},
isbn = {{9783111508634}},
issn = {{2199-3734}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{81--111}},
publisher = {{Mouton de Gruyter}},
series = {{Trends in Linguistics}},
title = {{An interactional account of exaggeration in everyday conversation}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783111509105-004}},
doi = {{10.1515/9783111509105-004}},
volume = {{394}},
year = {{2026}},
}