Respect strategies in the novel Love and Nights as an example

Abstract

  Politeness strategies, a central concept in the field of pragmatics, refer to the linguistic mechanisms individuals use to maintain 'face' (public self-image) and minimize interpersonal conflict. This study employs this theoretical framework to analyze the dimensions of politeness within Kurdish literature, taking the novel Evîn û Şewat (Love and Conflagration) by Sidqi Hirori as a case study. The primary objective is to investigate how the characters utilize linguistic tools, alongside psychological and social behaviors, to preserve their own 'face' and that of their interlocutors, thereby mitigating potential face-threatening acts. The research addresses two main questions: first, are politeness strategies present in the novel, and second, if so, to what extent and in what manner are they employed? The findings reveal that politeness strategies are not only present but are utilized prominently and at a sophisticated level throughout the narrative. Furthermore, the study concludes that the novelist uses politeness not merely as a communicative element, but as a strategic literary device for character development and for constructing the psychological and social fabric of the text.