OH-PREFACED RESPONSES TO INQUIRY

In responses to English questions, prefacing with the particle oh indi cates that, from the viewpoint of the answerer, a question is problema tic in terms of its relevance, presuppositions, or context. In additio n, oh-prefacing is used to foreshadow reluctance to advance the conver sational topic invoked by a question; it may also be part of a ''troub le-premonitory'' response to various types of How are yell inquiries i n conversational openings and elsewhere.