politeness
Politeness refers to
How languages expressed the social distance between the speakers and their different role-relationships;
How face-work,that is,the attempt to establish,maintain,and save face during conversation,is carried out in a speech community
The consultative style
①Excuse me, how can I get to the nearest metro station?
②A: What can I do for you? B: I’d like to buy some primary taste yogurt .
In English,degrees of politeness are indicated by intonation patterns address forms and some other markers. A rising tone or a falling-rising tone used in commands,invitations,greetings or farewells,often indicates politeness. Excuse me? Thank you! It is very kind of you!
Chapter 6
Varieties in relation to attitude
Degrees of formality
Formality refers to the way in which the style or tone of language will vary in appropriateness according to the social context.
It is used for conducting most business matters,such
as talking with strangers,buying things in a shop,asking the way in the street,etc.
Common core words are often used,and the tone is
purposes,such as legal documents,regulations,formal ceremonies,etc.
Sentences are constructed with the utmost
care,and the tone is serious and impersonal.
It is the language used among members of the
family,betweenhusband and wife,among very close friends,or among a particular group of people,such as school boys ,army soldiers,or criminals.
The tone is very informal,emotional or intimate.
5 levels of degrees of formality
The Gobbledygook
It is first used in the beginning of the previous century. It is
The intimate style
① Wife: Hungry! Husband: Noodle or snacks? I'm at your service any time , sweetie.
② A: Hey Jerry,basketball or football? B: How about snooker?
For example
Child (the common core term)
Offspring(rather formal)
Kid (informal and familiar)
5 levels of degrees of formality Frozen Style
It is used by professional speakers for public
According to Qian Yuan,in terms of politeness,language varies according to:
The degree of intimacy between the adresser and the addressee;
The degree of social distance separating the addresser from the addressee;
The casual style
① Come on, John, don’t be nervous, and remember you are among friends
② A: What’s for lunch? I’ll go to buy takeaway. B: Pizza! C: Just a cup of yogurt and two slices of bread! I am on diet.
an extreme style of the hyper-formal. It is meaningless,time-wasting but important-sounding official language used by officials circumlocution.
The sentences are long and tedious,and
the tone is serious and impersonal.
The examples of the aforementioned styles
The frozen style
①The united nations shall established under its authority an international trusteeship system for the administration of such territories as may be placed thereunder by subsequent individual agreements. These territories are hereafter referred to as trust territories.
generally neutral,friendly and polite.
5 levels of degrees of formality
Casual style
It is the language used for situations in which no
social barriers are felt by the participants.
The gobbledygook
① It is obvious from the difference in elevation with relation to the short depth of the property that the contour is such as to preclude any resonable developmental potential for active recreation. ② I hereby give and convey to you, all and singular, my estate and interest, right, title,claim and advantages of and in the said orange,together with all rind,juice,pulp and pits, and all rights and advantages therein anything hereinbefore or hereinafter, or in any other deed or deeds, instrument or instruments of whatever nature or kind whatsoever, to the contrary, in any wise, notwithstanding.
Sentences are usually short,elliptical,with a lot of
constractions,and the tone tends to be friendly and inees of formality
Intimate style
5 levels of degrees of formality
Formal Style
It is used before a large audience such as formal
lectures,inaugural address of the president elect,scientific report,etc.
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Archaic words
② Here we have the emptiness, the nothingness, of the Orient. My own works have been described as works of emptiness, but it is not to be taken for the nihilism of the West. The spiritual foundation would seem to be quite different. Dogen entitled his poem about the seasons, Innate Reality, and even as he sang of the beauty of the seasons he was deeply immersed in Zen.