The Pragmatics of Politeness

Abstract Pragmatics deviates from traditional interpretations of politeness both in its concept and terminology and in the way it outlines the boundary of phenomena to be explored. This paper discourses these differences in terms of two dominant theories of politeness: Grice Cooperation principle, and the Politeness Principle of Lakoff. In this review article an endeavor was done to be in deconstruction the pragmatic concept of politeness from the perspective of different linguistics and their frameworks. In addition, the author seeks a broader interpretation of the scientists` theories and compares them. The aim of the author is to illuminate the theme perfectly, by her analytical review.