Conversational dynamics of razve-questions in Russian

Natasha Korotkova

Abstract: This paper is devoted to the conversational dynamics of Russian questions with the left-periphery particle razve. Razve-questions seem to convey negative bias in conflicting evidence scenarios, thus bearing superficial resemblance to questions with English really (cf. Repp and Geist., forth.). I argue that razve-questions signal that the speaker is in a situation with belief revision potential, facing a conflict between a prior belief and a current abductive inference. Depending on context, such questions receive (i) an information-seeking intepretation or (ii) what I will call a 'point-making' interpretation. I propose a unified semantics for razve, while also showcasing the limitations of current approaches to question bias.