The Multifunctionality of Discourse Operator Okay: Evidence from a police interview

The multifunctionality of discourse operator okay in a broad array of spoken discourse settings has been well-attested in the research literature, e.g., acknowledgement/acceptance, progression check, topic transition, etc. In addition, okay is often seen to perform multiple simultaneous and sometimes apparently contradictory functions. In this analysis of the discourse of an interviewing police officer, I show how okay can be recruited to perform the interactive work of not only task management but also, in other instances, of solidarity overture and, in yet others, of confrontation. I conclude by suggesting that in recruitments signaling confrontation, a global approbative ‘meaning’ can be seen to govern okay's multifunctionality in unexpected ways.

► An interrogating police officer makes prolific use of the discourse operator okay.
► Instances of okay exhibit a wide range of interactional functions.
► Okay is recruited to mark moves of task management, solidarity overture, and confrontation.
► An overarching approbative motivation for okay is posited as an explanation for sometimes conflicting uses.