conversationwhether

Conversationwhether is a neologism used in discourse studies to describe a conversational practice in which participants jointly explore and delay commitments by embedding 'whether' clauses within ongoing talk. The term blends 'conversation' with the logical question word 'whether,' signaling a method of presenting alternatives without finalizing a course of action. As a research concept, it aims to capture how speakers co-construct deliberation, defer decisiveness, and manage alignment through tentative phrasing rather than explicit choices.

In typical instances, conversationwhether features turn-by-turn insertions of 'whether' statements that assess options, risks, or permissions while the conversation unfolds. It is not equivalent to asking a direct question; rather, it weaves evaluative content into the fabric of ordinary talk. Common markers include hedges (maybe, perhaps), alignment cues, and iterative reframing of the issue as it evolves.

Examples: “We could try the new approach, whether that’s better remains to be seen.” “Let’s pause here, whether we should proceed now is what we’re trying to decide.” Such lines illustrate how participants reframe issues as contingent on future outcomes rather than declaring a verdict.

Applications of the concept include discourse-analytic analysis of deliberative dialogue, design considerations for AI dialogue systems that must negotiate options, and classroom or organizational settings where collaborative decision-making is central.

Limitations include the fact that whether-clauses are common across languages and genres, making the term hard to isolate empirically, and that not all use of 'whether' in talk necessarily serves deliberation.

See also: hedging, stance, discourse marker, deliberative conversation.