Page 23 - Dalle origini ai giorni nostri: convergenze e divergenze tra lingue slave

Epistemic and pragmatic functions of ja ne znaju ‘I don’t know’ in contemporary Russian

Example 10
- Oni ètogo ne ponimajut ja imeju v vidu
They this NEG understand I have in sight
oppozicionnych liderov?
opposition leaders?
- Ja ne znaju nu ja ničego ne slyšu
I NEG know well I nothing NEG hear
ljudi ne reagirujut uže ni na čto ni
people NEG react already NEG to what NEG
na povyšenie cen na neft’ ni na poniženie
to increase prices of oil NEG to decrease
rublja
ruble
- They don’t understand this I mean opposition leaders?
- I don’t know. Well, I haven’t heard anything. People no longer react to anything - neither to the
increase in oil prices, nor to the fall of the ruble.

In example (13) we see how ja ne znaju enables the speaker to show posi-
tive concern for the addressees’ face in the interaction by closing down on
a sequence which might lead to disagreement. Such a complete change of
topic could jeopardize the coherence of the discourse under way. By using
ja ne znaju the speaker signals that this switch takes place in a coopera-
tive way.

Example 11
- Èto kotorych pod tanki zasovyvali vot èto?
this those under tanks thrust here this?
- Ja otvetit’ ne v sostojanii no to čto
I answer NEG in condition but that what
delo absoljutno ne v èkonomike Penzenskoj oblasti èto
matter absolutely NEG in economy Penza region this
ja mogu otvetstvenno govorit’ to čto u nego
I can responsibly say that what by him
tam promyšlennyj rost vse bolee ili menee ničego
there industrial growth all more or less nothing
no skažite a kogda u nas sažali gubernatorov
but you.tell but when by us plant governors
za èkonomiku? Pokažite mne takoe ja ne znaju
for economy you.show me such I NEG know
- These are the ones they pushed under the tanks, are they …?
- I am not able to answer, but the fact that the matter is absolutely not in the economy of
the Penza region that I can responsibly say that when he was in charge there was industrial
growth there, everything was more or less, but tell me, when were the governors imprisoned
because of the economy? Show me I don’t know

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