Uses of the Finnish word hetkinen ´moment´
Keywords:
discourse particle, everyday conversations, interactional inguistics, timeAbstract
This article presents an analysis of the use of the word hetkinen ‘moment’ in everyday Finnish conversations.
First, the study investigates the word-class membership of hetkinen – is it just a noun, or can it be
considered a discourse particle as well? Second, the study examines what kind of intersubjective actions
the word hetkinen takes part in and what function the word has in these actions. The data comprise 37
instances of the word hetkinen, which have been collected from the Arkisyn Database of Finnish Conversational
Discourse. The instances of hetkinen have been analyzed within their context using the conversation
analysis method. The study showed that, in everyday conversations, hetkinen is used mainly as
a discourse particle instead of as a noun. The study also found that hetkinen is used in five different
actions, which are suspensions performed in multiactivity situations, word searches, questions, insights,
and self-repairs. The study suggests that the function that connects the different uses of hetkinen is one
that halts an ongoing activity. In addition, the study indicates that, in some contexts, hetkinen may have
an attention-seeking function, or it may be used to imply that the speaker has undergone a change in
cognitive state.
