Zum kausalen und konzessiven Gebrauch des Konnektors wo im gesprochenen Umgangsdeutsch

In informal German interactions, speakers use wo ('where') not only as a local adverb but also as a connector introducing temporal, causal and even concessive clauses. Based on empirical data, this article will analyze uses and functions of wo (where)-constructions in everyday German conversations. Concerning the various uses of wo the paper will address the following questions: (1) What are the formal and functional characteristics of the different uses of the connector wo? (2) On what grounds do participants interpret a particular wo-construction as causal or concessive? Does the connector wo have a causal or concessive meaning potential, or is the particular interpretation only derived from its situated use in talk in interaction? (3) Why would speakers use the multifunctional connector wo instead of using conventionalized causal and concessive connectors (e.g. weil/da/denn and obwohl)? Are there situative and sequential contexts in which wo-constructions are preferably used? (4) How can we account for the multifunctionality of the connector wo? The article will address issues of grammar in interaction, polysemy/polyfunctionality in everyday discourse and the relation between contextual features and the negotiation of meaning.