Dauerantworten

Dauerantworten is a German-language term used in discussions about online communication to describe a recurring pattern of responses that are unusually long, hedged, and often non-committal. The word combines Dauer (duration) and Antworten (answers) and appears mainly in media analysis, linguistics of Internet discourse, and discussions about digital communication culture.

Characteristics include extended lengths, frequent hedges and qualifiers, digressions, and a tendency to avoid giving a direct answer or a definite stance. Such responses may mix thoroughness with vagueness, inserting multiple conditional phrases, disclaimers, or meta-comments about the limits of knowledge. They can be used to appear knowledgeable while delaying a final commitment or to appease different audiences.

Contexts: Dauerantworten are observed in political debates on social media, customer-service chats, corporate inquiries, and interactions with AI chatbots. Critics argue that they reduce clarity, hamper decision-making, and contribute to information overload; supporters might see them as a sign of careful reasoning and respect for nuance.

Origins and research: The term is common in Internet culture and contemporary linguistics discussions rather than a formal theory. Analysts may study Dauerantworten as a facet of modern politeness, strategic ambiguity, or readability issues in digital texts.

See also: online communication, discourse analysis, politeness strategies, information overload, dialogue design.