Dialogue in and between Different Cultures - International ...

122 Gabriel Dorta
797 ? spricht lilly von mir??? *lach* [21:29:28]
“? is lilly talking about me??? *laugh*”
[...]
817 PierraHB :
818 “Oje......*lach*......Danke Lilly.......aber du auch...aber das weißt du ja
gell?)“ [21:29:46]
“Oh….*laugh*......thank you Lilly.......you too…but you know that, don’t
you?”
[...]
835 PierraHB :
836 *smile*.........und wech [21:30:03]
“*smile*.........and away”
[...]
851 PETER OWL :
852 ich weiß es auch pierra!!!!! [21:30:17]
“I know that too pierra!!!!!”
[...]
In their messages, both chatters use diverse typographical means to catch the
others’ attention and to express a mutual high regard, closeness and more
commitment in their relationships. In Lilly and Pierra’s first contributions (l.699,
725), the vowel’s reduplication emulates aspects of orality in a similar face-toface
situation, when participants say goodbye in a familiar tone. In her next
message (l.734), Lilly again tries to catch Pierra’s attention through consonants’
reduplication and the use of bold and capital letters. This contribution is
preliminary to the compliment expressed forty seconds later. Lilly stresses her
compliment and its polite character through the use of the adverb “damned” twice
and capital letters (l.787). Her next message also shows affection (“I like you”,
l.792) and contributes to the maintenance of this familiar and friendly atmosphere.
Lilly’s behaviour is evaluated positively in Pierra’s following message, which at
the same time contains a compliment (“thank you Lilly….you too”, l. 818).
Within the chat’s non-committal frame, it would have been expected that
participants log out after saying goodbye and others who remain in the chat-room
continue interacting in different constellations. However, the mutual high regard
shown through the compliments and the typographical means used there, as well
as the positive evaluation of each communicative behaviour, represent a salient
behaviour and something more than expected. Chatters construct with that, at
least for the actual interaction, a partial commitment and show closeness and
friendliness in their relationships. The chat’s non-committal frame is in such cases
suspended.
5. Conclusions
What emerges from the aspects described is that analyzing any linguistic and
social phenomenon in chats implies taking into consideration the mutual influence
between the particularities of the medium and the linguistic behaviour of its users.