Pragmatic Functions of Humble Forms in Japanese Ceremonial Discourse

Abstract

Traditional analyses describe Japanese honorific use as determined by situational factors. By contrast, this article takes an agent-centered approach to demonstrate how Japanese speakers use humble forms to perform a variety of pragmatic functions in ceremonial discourse. The analysis demonstrates that even in ceremonial speech contexts, speakers are not consistent in their use of humble forms, but rather shift between humble and nonhumble forms to index shifts in footing and the social persona they present to the audience. © 2005 by the American Anthropological Association. All rights reserved.