Verbal Impoliteness, Strategies and Typology

Abstract

This presentation has as a starting point the linguistic theories of politeness and the reverse phenomenon, verbal impoliteness. The impoliteness theories and the theories of conflict are parallel, but opposed to those of politeness. Despite this, the newest research in the domain do not admit the description of the impoliteness phenomenon as a mere deviation from the theories of politeness or as a phenomenon that breaks rules and maxims of cooperative and polite communication. Politeness or impoliteness of a speech act represents an aspect related to degree or level; the impoliteness phenomenon cannot be simply regarded as a secondary phenomenon, derived from that of politeness. Verbal impoliteness, a constitutive aspect of conflictive communication, is a type of non-cooperative prototypical behaviour, but it is not necessary that this behaviour should be entirely and permanently irrational or competitive. All these aspects are going to be highlighted by means of conversational analysis done on the basis of some minutes that reproduce working sessions of the Romanian Senate and on the basis of a transcription of a television programme, namely a talk show.