Pragmalinguistics Politeness in the Balinese Language

Abstract

This study aims to determine the linguistic patterns of politeness in the Balinese language. The pragmalinguistic approach was used because the linguistic patterns and politeness of the Balinese language are related to descriptive and pragmatic aspects. Data were collected through closed questionnaires distributed to informants consisting of lecturers, teachers, and Balinese language practitioners. The respondents were asked to give a politeness score for each proposed sentence pattern using a Likert scale, where 1 = very impolite, 2 = impolite, 3 = polite, 4 = more polite, and 5 = very polite. The analysis results showed that (1) passive sentences (score 3.64 – 4.29) were perceived as more polite than active sentences (score 2.76 – 3.14), (2) modality phrase forwarding (score 4.00 – 4.79) were perceived as more polite than sentences without modalities (score 2.64 – 2.71), (3) the use of institutional personification (score 4.07 – 4.76) was perceived as more polite than using the position as the subject of the sentence (score 2.88 – 3.00), and (4) the use of indirect speech (score 4.14 – 4.79) was perceived as more polite than using direct (score 2.76 – 3.00). Furthermore, the use of these linguistic instruments to determine politeness in the Balinese language is motivated by the speaker's desire to focus on information, soften and weaken the impositivity, as well as efforts to save a positive face.