etymology - "Well" as an introduction to an argument


Say a child says:



I want some ice cream!



The parent's response is:



Well, you can't have ice cream right now, we need to have dinner first.



Why is the word "well" used as a conversational introduction to an argument? Is it a shortened form of another phrase?



Answer



Well might originally be a shortened form of a phrase, but I think it is safe to say that people who use it are generally treating it as a distinct entity (not short for something); it is a grammatical particle that is used to "facilitate discourse".


In this situation, it is being used by one speaker to acknowledge what the other speaker said. It can also be used to additionally indicate "I'm about to say something now, so wait a moment and don't say more until I've taken my turn."


We have many discourse markers, and in general they are used to assist turn-taking and comprehension in a conversation. Every language (as far as I know) has them.


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