konversasjon

Konversasjon refers to the reciprocal exchange of messages between two or more participants, typically conducted in real time. It encompasses spoken interaction as well as written forms such as emails, chats, and messaging. The essence of konversasjon lies in mutual responsiveness, turn-taking, and the joint construction of topics and meanings.

Etymology and usage

The term is a loanword in Norwegian, derived from the French word conversation (and ultimately Latin) for a mutual exchange of ideas. In everyday Norwegian, samtale is more common for ordinary talk, while konversasjon is often used in more formal, written, or educational contexts, or when referring to the concept of conversational interaction in general.

Structure and mechanics

Conversations are organized through turn-taking, adjacency pairs (such as question-answer sequences), and sequence management that guides how topics progress. Repairs allow participants to correct misstatements or misunderstandings. Nonverbal cues such as gaze, intonation, and posture play a significant role in spoken konversasjon, whereas written konversasjon relies on punctuation, formatting, and timing to convey similar cues. Online konversasjon introduces latency, asynchronous elements, and potential for miscommunication, along with digital norms and etiquette.

Contexts and varieties

Konversasjon occurs in informal chats among friends, professional meetings, interviews, and media exchanges. It spans across languages and cultures, with varying politeness strategies, formality levels, and power dynamics influencing how conversations are initiated and maintained. Digital media have expanded the domain of konversasjon to include asynchronous and multi-modal formats.

Research and theory

In linguistics and anthropology, conversation analysis (CA) studies how talk is produced and understood in interaction. Key contributors include Harvey Sacks, Emanuel Schegloff, and Gail Jefferson. CA uses detailed transcripts and observational methods to reveal the organization of talk in everyday life.