Indirectness or Elaboration? : Relationship between linguistic politeness level and social distances(Inherently polite speech acts)(In Commemoraion of Prof.Kanbara's Retirement)

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This paper focused on verification of the hypothesis that linguistic politeness level as 'directness' of inherently polite speech acts (i.e., apologies, compliments, and indirect complaints and responses to them) will positively correlate with both horizontal and vertical social distances ; that is, inherently polite speech acts tend to be performed more explicitly towards people who are less familiar and more powerful. After examining and reinterpreting a substantial number of empirical studies previously published, the hypothesis was found to be sustainable. A major purpose of my present and previous papers was to claim that the relationship between linguistic politeness level as measured by (in) directness and social distances shows patterns quite different from the Bulge pattern suggested by Wolfson who measured the level of politeness by the amount of elaboration. My present and previous studies jointly verified the following hypothesis : linguistic politeness level (PL) as the level of indirectness of SA [-H] (i.e., speech act inherently at cost [or, impolite] to hearer : Leech 1983: 83) and PL as the level of directness of SA [+H] (i.e., speech act inherently beneficial [or, polite] to hearer) both rise along with the increase of both horizontal and vertical social distances.