Pragmatics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pragmatics - Essay Example Characterization of polite language includes careful selection of words as well as the reconstruction of the speaker’s communicative intentions through the use of logic practical reasoning (Brown 8). The use of honorifics due to the presence of complex strata within societies in order to impersonalize people as well to further elaborate politeness is another feature seen in polite forms of languages. Also, the concept of face, or the public image of the speaker as he or she perceives it and how everyone else recognizes it, becomes a motivation to be polite at all times, as seen through the eyes of other cultures (Grebe 6). By projecting a positive image of their selves, people are able to communicate effectively in such a way that they get what they want and at the same time are able to maintain their good public images by their careful selection of words and actions. Strong motivation to do as such is a key point in the use of polite forms of language, which is a reason why it still persists up to the present (Brown 23). Depending on the quality as well as the type of social relationship between the speaker and the listener, the style of speech would also be adjusted accordingly (Carter 170). Politeness with regards to speech stems from the different hierarchies within a culture, and by not using respectful language towards different classes of people, speakers would become the target of stigmatization and persecution by the community (Watts 44). The lack of politeness in speech could also mean life or death in ancient cultures as well which suggests the evolution of polite speech patterns in most languages. Most output suggests that politeness in linguistics also originated from the use of indirections in speech, as well as hints, and by not being outright or the avoidance of blatant speech gives the speaker a more amiable or positive image (Carter 169). This also saves a person’s face, or the clean public image of a