Thanking Formulae In English: Explorations Across Varieties And Genres Explorations Across Varieties And Genres

In the present study the use of thanking formulae is examined across different genres and varieties of English. Data is taken from the British National Corpus and the Wellington Corpus of Spoken New Zealand English . Employing a form-to-function mapping, thanking formulae are not only analysed quantitatively, but also qualitatively accounting for local contexts and genre. Additionally, the status of thanking formulae is examined in the most prominent models of politeness, and the interpersonal relation amongst the interlocutors is investigated. The first part is devoted to a variational analysis, which is supplemented by a genre perspective in the second part. The findings of the study contribute new insights to research on thanking (formulae), politeness, variational pragmatics and media discourse. Setting The Scene : Theoretical Background -- Introduction -- Linguistic Research On Thanking (formulae) -- Defining 'thanking Formula' -- Analysis Of Formal Characteristics Of Thanking Formulae -- Analysis Of Functional Characteristics Of Thanking Formulae -- Analysis Of Pragmatic Aspects Of The Usage Of Thanking Formulae -- Cultural Variation In The Use Of Thanking Formulae -- Linguistic Research On Thanking (formulae) : Summary And Outlook -- Linguistic Research On Politeness -- Defining Politeness -- Brown/levinson's (1978/1987) Politeness Theory -- Face -- Politeness Strategies -- Critical Evaluation Of Brown/levinson's Model -- Leech's (1983, 2007) Politeness Principle -- Maxims Of Politeness -- Illocutionary Functions -- Critical Evaluation Of Leech's Model -- Watts' (2003) Distinction Of Polite And Politic Behaviour -- Relational Work : Polite Vs. Politic Behaviour -- Critical Evaluation Of Watts' Model -- Politeness As Social Indexing Or Discernment -- Linguistic Research On Politeness : Summary And Outlook -- Digression : The Influence Of The Interlocutors' Status On Language Use -- Contrasting British And New Zealand English -- Phonetic, Morphological, Lexical, Orthographical And Syntactic Variation -- Pragmatic Variation -- Radio Talk -- Development And Characterisation Of Radio Phone-ins -- Participant Roles -- Conversational Structure Of Phone-ins -- Closing (radio) Conversations With The Help Of Thanking Formulae -- Multiple Addressees -- Radio Talk : Summary And Outlook -- Summary Of The Theoretical Background And Outlook On The Present Study -- Methodology -- Methods Of Data Collection -- Classic Methods Of Data Collection To Investigate Pragmatic Phenomena -- Using Corpus Data To Investigate Pragmatic Phenomena -- Research Design Of The Present Study -- Data -- Corpora Under Investigation -- Determining Search Terms -- Aspects Under Investigation -- Examining The Form Of Thanking Formulae -- Frequency Of Occurrence -- Syntactic Realisations : Focus On Optional Elements -- The Position Of Thanking Formulae -- Determining The Functions Of Thanking Formulae -- Organising The Ongoing Discourse -- Serving The Phatic Communion -- Responding To Material Goods And Services -- Responding To Immaterial Goods And Interpersonal Support -- Thanking Formulae Used Jokingly Or Ironically -- Operationalising Models Of Politeness -- Operationalising Brown/levinson's (1978,1987) Approach -- Operationalising Leech's (1983, 2007) Approach -- Operationalising Watts' (2003) Approach -- Exploring The Relative Social Status Of Speakers And Addressees -- Presentation Of Results And Examples -- Structure Of The Following Empirical Analyses -- Focus On Varieties : Thanking Formulae In British And New Zealand English -- Introduction -- The Form Of Thanking Formulae In British And New Zealand English -- Overall Frequencies -- Common Syntactic Realisations -- Naming A Benefactor -- Using Intensifiers -- Naming A Reason -- Positions Of Thanking Formulae Within Conversations -- Discussion : Formal Realisations Of Thanking Formulae In Bre And Nze -- Overall Frequencies -- Syntactic Realisations -- The Use Of Optional Elements -- The Position Of Thanking Formulae -- Functions Of Thanking Formulae In Bre And Nze -- Organising The Ongoing Discourse : Closing Conversations By Means Of Thanking Formulae And Farewells -- Serving The Phatic Communion -- Responding To Material Goods And Services -- Responding To Immaterial Goods And Interpersonal Support -- Thanking Formulae Used Jokingly Or Ironically -- Unclear Cases -- Discussion : Functions Of Thanking Formulae In Bre And Nze -- Organising The Ongoing Discourse -- Serving The Phatic Communion -- Responding To Material Goods And Services -- Responding To Immaterial Goods And Interpersonal Support -- Joking/ironic Use Of Thanking Formulae -- Summary -- The Politeness Of Thanking Formulae In Bre And Nze -- Applying Concepts Of Brown/levinson's (1987) Politeness Theory -- Face-threatening Acts -- Politeness Strategies -- Discussion : Thanking Formulae In The Framework Of Brown/levinson (1987) -- Applying Concepts Of Leech's (1983) Politeness Principle -- Maxims Of Politeness -- Illocutionary Functions -- Discussion : Thanking Formulae In The Framework Of Leech(1983) -- Applying Watts' (2003) Distinction Of Polite Vs. Politic Behaviour -- Discussion : The Politeness Of Thanking Formulae In Bre And Nze -- Digression : The Status Of Speakers Relative To Their Addressees In Bre And Nze -- Speakers' Status And Its Relation With Formal And Functional Preferences -- Speakers' Status -- Speakers' Status And Formal Preferences -- Speakers' Status And Intensification -- Speakers' Status And Functions Of Thanking Formulae -- Outlook : The Interlocutors' Relationship In Terms Of Cultural Differences -- Focus On Varieties : Summary -- Focus On Genre : Thanking Formulae In Radio Texts -- Introduction -- The Form Of Thanking Formulae In Radio Texts -- Overall Frequencies -- Common Syntactic Realisations -- Naming A Benefactor -- Using Intensifiers -- Naming A Reason -- Positions Of Thanking Formulae Within Conversations -- Discussion : Formal Realisations Of Thanking Formulae In Radio Texts -- Functions Of Thanking Formulae In Bre And Nze -- Organising The Ongoing Discourse : Closing Conversations By Means Of Thanking Formulae And Farewells -- Serving The Phatic Communion -- Responding To Material Goods And Services -- Responding To Immaterial Goods And Interpersonal Support -- Thanking Formulae Used Jokingly Or Ironically -- Unclear Cases -- Discussion : Functions Of Thanking Formulae In Radio Texts -- Organising The Ongoing Discourse -- Serving The Phatic Communion -- Responding To Material Goods And Services -- Responding To Immaterial Goods And Interpersonal Support -- Joking/ironic Use Of Thanking Formulae -- The Politeness Of Thanking Formulae In Radio Texts -- Applying Concepts Of Brown/levinson's (1987) Politeness Theory -- Face-threatening Acts -- Politeness Strategies -- Discussion : Thanking Formulae In The Framework Of Brown/levinson (1987) -- Applying Concepts Of Leech's (1983) Politeness Principle -- Maxims Of Politeness -- Illocutionary Functions -- Discussion : Thanking Formulae In The Framework Of Leech (1983) -- Applying Watts' (2003) Distinction Of Polite Vs. Politic Behaviour -- Discussion : The Politeness Of Thanking Formulae In Radio Texts -- Digression : The Status Of Speakers Relative To Their Addressees In Radio Texts -- Focus On Genre : Summary -- Conclusion -- Summary Of The Most Important Findings -- Variational Analysis -- Genre Analysis -- Outlook : Suggestions For Further Research -- Bibliography -- Index. Sabine Jautz, Universität Siegen. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 293-306) And Index. P&BNS 230 Thanking Formulae in English 2 Editorial page 3 Title page 4 LCC data 5 Dedication page 6 Table of contents 8 List of tables 14 List of figures 16 1. Introduction 18 2. Setting the scene: Theoretical background 22 2.1 Introduction 22 2.2 Linguistic research on thanking (formulae) 23 2.2.1 Defining ‘thanking formula’ 24 2.2.2 Analysis of formal characteristics of thanking formulae 26 2.2.3 Analysis of functional characteristics of thanking formulae 29 2.2.4 Analysis of pragmatic aspects of the usage of thanking formulae 30 2.2.5 Cultural variation in the use of thanking formulae 31 2.2.6 Linguistic research on thanking (formulae) - summary and outlook 34 2.3 Linguistic research on politeness 36 2.3.1 Defining politeness 36 2.3.2 Brown/Levinson’s (1978/1987) politeness theory 37 2.3.3 Leech’s (1983, 2007) politeness principle 43 2.3.4 Watts’ (2003) distinction of polite and politic behaviour 45 2.3.5 Politeness as social indexing or discernment 49 2.3.6 Linguistic research on politeness - summary and outlook 50 2.4 Digression: The influence of the interlocutors’ status on language use 51 2.5 Contrasting British and New Zealand English 54 2.5.1 Phonetic, morphological, lexical, orthographical and syntactic variation 56 2.5.2 Pragmatic variation 57 2.6 Radio talk 59 2.6.1 Development and characterisation of radio phone-ins 60 2.6.2 Participant roles 61 2.6.3 Conversational structure of phone-ins 62 2.6.4 Closing (radio) conversations with the help of thanking formulae 63 2.6.5 Multiple addressees 65 2.6.6 Radio talk - summary and outlook 66 2.7 Summary of the theoretical background and outlook on the present study 66 3. Methodology 68 3.1 Methods of data collection 68 3.1.1 Classic methods of data collection to investigate pragmatic phenomena 68 3.1.2 Using corpus data to investigate pragmatic phenomena 70 3.1.3 Research design of the present study 73 3.2 Data 76 3.2.1 Corpora under investigation 76 3.2.2 Determining search terms 79 3.3 Aspects under investigation 81 3.3.1 Examining the form of thanking formulae 81 3.3.2 Determining the functions of thanking formulae 84 3.3.3 Operationalising models of politeness 89 3.3.4 Exploring the relative social status of speakers and addressees 93 3.4 Presentation of results and examples 94 3.5 Structure of the following empirical analyses 96 4. Focus on varieties: Thanking formulae in British and New Zealand English 98 4.1 Introduction 98 4.2 The form of thanking formulae in British and New Zealand English 100 4.2.1 Overall frequencies 100 4.2.2 Common syntactic realisations 102 4.2.3 Naming a benefactor 103 4.2.4 Using intensifiers 107 4.2.5 Naming a reason 110 4.2.6 Positions of thanking formulae within conversations 113 4.2.7 Discussion: Formal realisations of thanking formulae in BrE and NZE 114 4.3 Functions of thanking formulae in BrE and NZE 120 4.3.1 Organising the ongoing discourse: Closing conversations by means of thanking formulae and fare 123 4.3.2 Serving the phatic communion 143 4.3.3 Responding to material goods and services 149 4.3.4 Responding to immaterial goods and interpersonal support 152 4.3.5 Thanking formulae used jokingly or ironically 155 4.3.6 Unclear cases 157 4.3.7 Discussion: Functions of thanking formulae in BrE and NZE 157 4.4 The politeness of thanking formulae in BrE and NZE 171 4.4.1 Applying concepts of Brown/Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory 171 4.4.2 Applying concepts of Leech’s (1983) politeness principle 189 4.4.3 Applying Watts’ (2003) distinction of polite vs. politic behaviour 205 4.4.4 Discussion: The politeness of thanking formulae in BrE and NZE 207 4.5 Digression: The status of speakers relative to their addressees in BrE and NZE 211 4.5.1 Speakers’ status and its relation with formal and functional preferences 213 4.5.2 Outlook: The interlocutors’ relationship in terms of cultural differences 219 4.6 Focus on varieties: Summary 223 5. Focus on genre: Thanking formulae in radio texts 226 5.1 Introduction 226 5.2 The form of thanking formulae in radio texts 228 5.2.1 Overall frequencies 228 5.2.2 Common syntactic realisations 230 5.2.3 Naming a benefactor 231 5.2.4 Using intensifiers 233 5.2.5 Naming a reason 235 5.2.6 Positions of thanking formulae within conversations 236 5.2.7 Discussion: Formal realisations of thanking formulae in radio texts 238 5.3 Functions of thanking formulae in BrE and NZE 241 5.3.1 Organising the ongoing discourse: Closing conversations by means of thanking formulae and fare 243 5.3.2 Serving the phatic communion 251 5.3.3 Responding to material goods and services 255 5.3.4 Responding to immaterial goods and interpersonal support 257 5.3.5 Thanking formulae used jokingly or ironically 258 5.3.6 Unclear cases 259 5.3.7 Discussion: Functions of thanking formulae in radio texts 259 5.4 The politeness of thanking formulae in radio texts 268 5.4.1 Applying concepts of Brown/Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory 269 5.4.2 Applying concepts of Leech’s (1983) politeness principle 277 5.4.3 Applying Watts’ (2003) distinction of polite vs. politic behaviour 289 5.4.4 Discussion: The politeness of thanking formulae in radio texts 291 5.5 Digression: The status of speakers relative to their addressees in radio texts 293 5.6 Focus on genre: Summary 297 6. Conclusion 302 6.1 Summary of the most important findings 302 6.1.1 Variational analysis 304 6.1.2 Genre analysis 307 6.2 Outlook: Suggestions for further research 309 Bibliography 310 Index 324 Employing a form-to-function mapping, thanking formulae are not only analysed quantitatively, but also qualitatively accounting for local contexts and genre. This title contributes insights to research on thanking (formulae), politeness, variational pragmatics and media discourse.