Le marqueur discursif maa en japonais

The particle maa is a most frequent marker in spoken Japanese, showing quite different values. This article proposes a hypothesis on the semantics of maa, defined as marking the doubt of the speaker as regards the validation of an event or a fact (noted P) as given in the left context or in the situation. This semantic identity of maa endows P with both a positive and a negative value - the negative component specifying the subjective relation of the speaker to P. Five main types of uses of maa are distinguished on the basis of two criteria: the way P is given in the context or situation; the variable weighting of the positive value and the negative value that maa endows P with.