Cultural Courtesies: Decoding Politeness Formulas in the Aseer Dialect of Arabic

Abstract

This study analyzes politeness formulas within the Aseer dialect of Arabic, employing Conceptual Metaphor Theory and the Embodiment Hypothesis as theoretical frameworks. With a dataset encompassing a total of 300 formulas, comprising 210 related to body parts and 90 linked to devotion formulas, the research unravel the conceptual metaphors and metonymies inherent in these expressions. The study elucidates the cultural alignment of these formulas and their consistency with societal norms, contributing to the preservation of oral heritage in the Aseer region. The findings highlight how human beings utilize metaphor metonymy to embody abstract ideas, emphasizing the cultural significance of these politeness formulas and their connection to the physical and cultural experiences of the Aseer community. The outcomes of the study do not only enhance our understanding of politeness formulas but also pave the way for cross-dialect and cross-linguistic comparisons and applications in various fields, such as cross-cultural pragmatics, ethnographic studies, semantic mapping, and cultural preservation.