Knowledge base · Part XVIII — Information Structure, Sentence-Final Particles, and Minor Classes · this topic as a network
148. Interjections, Response Words, Ideophones, and Sound Symbolism
How does the language use interjections, response words, ideophones, and sound-symbolic gradation for expressive purposes?
Filled pauses in the consultant's speech tend to repeat the final vowel of vowel-final words, or the vowel preceding /r/ in r-final words. (Satō 2008: 291)
Word-class status
What syntactic properties distinguish interjections from other word classes?
Interjections function to call attention to the speaker, to respond to conversational turns and transactions, or to express emotional reactions. (Refsing 1986: 131) In Sakhalin Ainu, interjections are defined as words whose internal grammatical structure is unclear but which constitute an entire sentence by themselves. (Murasaki 2025: 109) Interjections inherently carry modality such that a word forms a fully terminated sentence after which nothing can follow. (Nakagawa 2024: 405)
The interjection inventory
What functional types of interjections exist and what are their attested forms?
Chiri (1936) documents approximately fifty interjections in Ainu. (reported in Refsing 1986: 131) In Shizunai, ayay is an interjection expressing pain ('ouch'). (Refsing 1986: 132) In Shizunai, ononno is an interjection expressing happiness and gratitude. (Refsing 1986: 132) Used alone, pakno can function as an interjection, pakno pakno 'enough! enough!'. (Refsing 1986: 167) In Sakhalin Ainu, 'a'ii is an interjection used to express pain. (Murasaki 2025: 109) In Sakhalin Ainu, the interjection hee is used by both men and women to express mild surprise. (Murasaki 2025: 109) In Sakhalin Ainu, the interjection 'uwa 'uwa is used when negating or dissenting. (Murasaki 2025: 109) In Sakhalin Ainu, the interjection hore'aynoo is used to express admiration at the sight of a beautiful woman. (Murasaki 2025: 109) In Sakhalin Ainu, the interjection ta'aa is used upon discovering or noticing something. (Murasaki 2025: 109) In Sakhalin Ainu, the interjection 'acakampahsee is used when startled or shocked. (Murasaki 2025: 109) In Sakhalin Ainu, the interjection yaykistee is used when exasperated or stunned. (Murasaki 2025: 109) In Sakhalin Ainu, the interjection kee kee kee is used to urge the addressee to do something. (Murasaki 2025: 109) In Saru, the expression hesto hesto means 'there, didn't I tell you? / see?'. (reported in Satō 2008: 299)
Greeting formulae and their morphological structure
What greeting formulae are used and what is their morphological structure?
In Shizunai, iyayraykere is a formal expression of gratitude literally meaning 'it makes me kill myself'. (Refsing 1986: 132) The interjection hap expresses gratitude for food. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The interjection oi oi expresses gratitude upon receiving something. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The word iyairaikere expresses thanks. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) In Sakhalin Ainu, the greeting 'irankarahtee can be used at any time of day, anywhere, regardless of the addressee. (Murasaki 2025: 8) Many interjections have the morphological structure i- + intransitive verb stem + causative suffix. (Nakagawa 2024: 292) Interjections with the shape i- + verb + causative suffix are normally not used as verbs in that form, verbal use being restricted to the base stem. (Nakagawa 2024: 292)
Directive and affective interjections
What directive and affective interjections exist and how are they used?
In Shizunai, iramkitta is an interjection expressing amazement and disgust. (Refsing 1986: 132) In Shizunai, hetak is an interjection meaning 'well, now' and is followed by a command. (Refsing 1986: 132) In Shizunai, hokure is an interjection meaning 'hurry!'. (Refsing 1986: 132) The interjections ayo and ayapo express pain. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The interjections ainupata, ainupotaun, and ampotaun express envy. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The interjection achikara expresses disgust. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The interjection chopara expresses derision or gloating. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The interjection haí expresses pain. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The interjections hetak, keke-hetak, and hokure express invitation or urging. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The interjection oyoyo expresses distress or anguish. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The interjection ononno expresses praise or triumph. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The interjection shipakar expresses affection or compassion. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The forms iokunnure, iokunure, and iokunnuka function both as interjections of surprise or pity and as verbs meaning 'to be surprised'. (Nakagawa 2024: 293) A set of interjections including irayapka, inunukaski, iyohaysitomare, and iramkitta express strong emotions such as surprise, pity, and annoyance. (Nakagawa 2024: 427)
Ideophones and reduplicative mimetics
How does the language use reduplication to encode plurality or collectivity in nouns?
The forms hum, kit, pat, put, rim, and shiu, as well as mai, nai, and ser in -kosanu derivatives, are onomatopoeic roots. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) Certain repetitive and aspectual suffixes frequently attach to onomatopoeic and mimetic roots. (Nakagawa 2024: 207) The onomatopoeic word kiriri represents the creaking sound of rowing an oar. (Nakagawa 2024: 541) The quotative particle sekór can be analyzed etymologically as se-kor 'saying', containing a root se 'to say, do' found in compound ideophones. (proposed in Tamura 1972: 20)
Morphosyntactic integration
How do interjections and mimetic words integrate into clause structure?
The verbalizing suffix -se forms phenomimetic (ideophonic) verbs as well as phonomimetic ones. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) Like -se, the verbalizing suffix -ke forms onomatopoeic and phenomimetic verbs. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The suffix -po functions as an exclamatory element in interjections such as ayapo!, oyoyo(po)!, and wakkapo!. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) Interjections constitute independent sentences on their own and enter into no grammatical relations with other elements. (Nakagawa 2024: 290) Interjections may either stand as isolated exclamations or initiate or occasionally be interpolated into larger full sentences. (Refsing 1986: 131)