On the relationship between gaze and the German recipient token hm_hm
Johanna Masuch · Pragmatics & beyond. New series · 2025
Abstract This study examines the interplay between speaker gaze, the German recipient token “hm_hm,” and the Feedback Relevance Space (FRS) in triadic conversations. Our findings underscore the role of speaker gaze in eliciting “hm_hm” tokens: over three-quarters of them were produced by the recipient last looked at by the speaker. However, it challenges previous accounts of the relationship between gaze and recipient feedback ( Bavelas et al. 2002 ) by showing that recipients prioritise the timely placement of “hm_hms” and orient to the FRS — typically located towards the end of the speaker’s intonation phrase — over giving feedback while in mutual gaze with the speaker. This is consistent with the function of “hm_hm” as a continuer. The findings of this study contribute to a refined understanding of the relationship between gaze, recipient feedback and turn-taking. 1