Address and reference in Mandarin TǔCáo

This project uses Multimodal Conversation Analysis to explore co-present person reference in Mandarin tǔcáo (‘to tease/criticize/ridicule’), focusing on: 1) the interplay of pronouns, gaze, and gestural points; 2) the effects of pronoun shifts on participation dynamics; and 3) the role of relevant identities in shaping person reference. Analysis of 61 minutes of a triadic conversation reveals that pronouns frequently intersect with gaze and gestures to anchor tǔcáo targets, allocate participant roles, elicit responses, and invite participation, etc. <i>Spitters </i>(i.e., those executing the tǔcáo) also exhibit various gaze patterns that deviate from the “default” (i.e., speakers gaze at the addressee), especially their marked gaze directed at a target referent during third-person referential tǔcáo, intensifying its biting impact. Gaze aversion is strategically used by spitters to soften incisive tǔcáo or to allow the “third wheel” participant to disengage from conflict. Pointing gestures often synchronize with pronouns in third-person tǔcáo to calibrate recipiency. Pronoun shifts also influence participation by reshaping roles, adjusting tǔcao directness, engaging the third wheel, and transferring awkwardness. Analysis also found that relational intimates, such as romantic partners, frequently construct tǔcáo using second or third-person pronouns to deliberately reframe prior assessments or actions of the target in tǔcáo. It allows spitters to assert control over the moves while implicitly inviting alignment or judgment from the third wheel. Additionally, the thirdwheel participant’s presence intensifies tǔcáo, sometimes making it more biting for the target. This study provides novel insights into the embodied practices of person reference in Mandarin tǔcáo, contributing to the understanding of its dynamics and impact.