An evolutionary take on (im)politeness
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Marcel Bax
Abstract
This paper is intended as an overall template of the evolution of (im)politeness. It elucidates how (linguistic) rapport management originated and developed over time, and tries to come to grips with (some of) the sociocultural factors behind such changes. Taking its point of departure in human prehistory (Section 1), the paper argues that, contrary to received wisdom, politeness and impoliteness are not two sides of the same coin (Section 2), and it discusses the dissimilar evolutionary antecedents of politeness and impoliteness (Sections 3 and 4). The paper then maps out three broad-scale diachronic trends regarding the conveyance of interpersonal distance, ipso facto the marking out of socio-proxemic interactional space; namely, (a) from performative to verbal, (b) from self-display to other-concern and (c) from collectivity-oriented to individual-oriented (Section 5).
Abstract
This paper is intended as an overall template of the evolution of (im)politeness. It elucidates how (linguistic) rapport management originated and developed over time, and tries to come to grips with (some of) the sociocultural factors behind such changes. Taking its point of departure in human prehistory (Section 1), the paper argues that, contrary to received wisdom, politeness and impoliteness are not two sides of the same coin (Section 2), and it discusses the dissimilar evolutionary antecedents of politeness and impoliteness (Sections 3 and 4). The paper then maps out three broad-scale diachronic trends regarding the conveyance of interpersonal distance, ipso facto the marking out of socio-proxemic interactional space; namely, (a) from performative to verbal, (b) from self-display to other-concern and (c) from collectivity-oriented to individual-oriented (Section 5).
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- The historical understanding of historical (im)politeness 1
- ‘Face’ across historical cultures 25
- Nineteenth-century English politeness 49
- “[T]his most unnecessary, unjust, and disgraceful war” 81
- A socio-cognitive approach to historical politeness 103
- From good manners to facework 131
- “Tumbled into the dirt” 154
- Positive and negative face as descriptive categories in the history of English 175
- Insults, violence, and the meaning of lytegian in the Old English Battle of Maldon 195
- Understanding Anglo-Saxon “politeness” 227
- An evolutionary take on (im)politeness 251
- Notes on Contributors 279
- Index 283
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- The historical understanding of historical (im)politeness 1
- ‘Face’ across historical cultures 25
- Nineteenth-century English politeness 49
- “[T]his most unnecessary, unjust, and disgraceful war” 81
- A socio-cognitive approach to historical politeness 103
- From good manners to facework 131
- “Tumbled into the dirt” 154
- Positive and negative face as descriptive categories in the history of English 175
- Insults, violence, and the meaning of lytegian in the Old English Battle of Maldon 195
- Understanding Anglo-Saxon “politeness” 227
- An evolutionary take on (im)politeness 251
- Notes on Contributors 279
- Index 283
