Nå (straight intonation)
The Danish particle nå (generally /nʌ/) serves many different functions. Among these is free standing nå→, which is nå spoken in a turn by itself and which has straight intonation.
The free standing nå→ functions as a continuer. It can occur multiple places in a turn. Therefore it can occur in overlap with another speakers turn since the interactional function is to show that the person, who utters it, is still paying attention and understands what the other speaker is saying. If this nå is followed by a pause in the speech of the other speaker, the turn can be taken, but otherwise the other speaker keeps his or her turn.
This is an example of nå with straight intonation:
Dette er et eksempel på nå med jævn intonation:
![SAMTALEBANK | SAMFUNDSKRISE | 1067 ((face-to-face)) 01 AST: ∙hh ja før da boede de deroppe hvor elin å børge 'hh yes before they lived up where Elin and Børge' 02 har boet→ 'have lived' 03 (0.5) 04 AST: fordi den ejendom har- karsten jo købt (.) med 'because Karsten has bought that property with' 05 jord[en]→ 'the land' 06 LIS: [ja]:→ 'yes' 07 (1.0) 08 AST: smt men nu de så flyttet derned 'smt but now they are then moved downthere' 09 å så er de jo nede på stedet↘ 'and then they are down to the place' 10 LIS: ja:→ 'yes' 11 (0.5) 12 AST: å de er *ø:m:* nogen af dem de nogle vældig s:: 'and they are uhm some of the they’re some quite' 13 der blandt andet en pige hun er sån (0.3) kvik 'there is for one thing a girl she is such a bright' 14 kvik pige→ 'bright girl' 15 (.) 16 LIS: nå→ 'oh' 17 (.) 18 AST: en ukrainer som er ∙hhh øh hun har et lille 'a ukranian who is hhh uh she has a small' 19 barn i ukraine så det er jo (.) s[:→] 'child in Ukraine so that is' 20 LIS: [nå]:::↘ 'oh'](/fileadmin/_processed_/8/1/csm_naa_straight_intonation_1_18737af87d.png)
Kilder og yderligere læsning
Den Danske Ordbog (DDO). Online Danish dictionary on nå.
Ordbog over Dansk Talesprog (ODT). Dictionary of Danish spoken language Entry on nå.
Femø-Nielsen (2002) gives a concise overview of different uses of nå
Heritage (1984) is quite an elaborate analysis yse af oh's functions in English
Local (1996) is an elaporate analysis of the meaning of oh's prosody in English
Steensig (2001) has a quite extensive section on prosody in Danish
Steensig m.fl. (2013) has a section with a more thorough analysis of nå with both straight intonation and rising intonation.
Related entries
The Building Blocks of Talk-in-interaction > Word classes/Parts of speech > Interjections and particles
The Building Blocks of Talk-in-interaction > Sounds > Prosody
Social Actions > Expressions of participation