Leiden University Student Repository

Koning, Philip de (2018)

Sarcastic use of Japanese honorifics – an ironic problem to politeness theorising

Bachelor thesis | Japanstudies (BA)

In this paper, it is argued that the sarcastic use of Japanese honorifics can be seen as further support for a view held within the discursive approach to linguistic politeness. The discursive approach, in reaction to and competing with both a Brown & Levinsonian and a cultural relativist approach to politeness, is argued to best account for the creative use of polite forms by individuals. In contrast to the other two, this approach allows for a constructivist view that empowers the individual language user with the agency to create her own social reality through deliberate language choices. It is further argued that a helpful notion regarding honorifics use – their default reading – is essential for allowing instances of honorific use to be evaluated as sarcastic, as opposed to ‘polite.’

politeness

honorifics

sarcasm

irony

Author

Koning, Philip de

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Language & Linguistics

Supervisors

Yoshioka, Keiko

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en