‘Do not be deaf towards me’: Subordinate’s Linguistic Strategies when Communicating with his Superior in the Lahun Temple Papyri

Abstract

This article shows that a sociolinguistic analysis of the letters from the Middle Kingdom temple papyri from el-Lahun can be used to identify and further examine superior/subordinate relationships. The temple officials in a subordinate position use reoccurring patterns in their choice of communicative strategies when they need to ask actions from their superior. Besides the more normative and formal modes of e.g. requesting and expressing critique, a specific phenomenon in the letters is the tendency of the subordinates to use expressive and exaggerated language as an elaborate linguistic strategy. This feature appears to be used in situations when the subordinate feels the need to legitimise his appeal whilst simultaneously trying to stay within the unforgiving social decorum. Using the concept of Discernment politeness and the sociolinguistic framework of Normativity, it is shown how this approach can offer additional means for the identification of hierarchical relationships in the epistolary corpora.