Postverbaal

Postverbaal refers to phenomena that occur after an utterance in spoken interaction. The term is used mainly in Dutch linguistics and communication studies, and it serves to distinguish elements that follow a spoken act from preverbal aspects that precede or accompany the utterance. Postverbaal phenomena can include listeners’ responses and repair sequences, as well as nonverbal cues such as gaze, facial expressions, or body posture that convey stance or affect after the spoken line.

Examples include backchannel responses (like “okay” or “uh-huh”), confirmation requests, or evaluative comments that occur after the initial talk act; or nonverbal postures and facial expressions that accompany the utterance. In research, postverbaal is studied for its role in turn-taking, alignment, and social meaning within interaction. The study of postverbaal often intersects with conversation analysis, sociolinguistics, and discourse studies, as researchers examine how post-utterance actions influence subsequent talk and social interpretation.

Etymology and usage: The term derives from Latin post verbum (after the word) and is predominantly used in Dutch linguistic literature, with occasional adoption in English-language discussions of conversational structure. Because definitions can vary by author, some researchers describe related phenomena under different labels, such as post-utterance cues or post-speech signals.

Overall, postverbaal highlights how what follows an utterance—whether verbal responses or accompanying nonverbal behavior—shapes interaction, cooperation, and social meaning in talk.