Self-denigration in Chinese: An interactional speech act approach

Abstract

In this study, we investigate self-denigration in Chinese by applying a strictly language-based interactional speech act approach. Previous research has often zeroed in on Chinese self-denigration by studying the pragmatic function of expressions selected beforehand by the researcher. As an alternative, we propose a bottom-up approach through which self-denigration can be captured in phases of interaction and expressions speech acts and expressions embedded in these phases. Our corpus consists of dialogues drawn from Chinese novels written between the 14th and 20th centuries. As our analysis shows, self-denigration often serves smoothening the flow of interaction and mimimising offence, along with expressing deference. Furthermore, self-denigration is more frequented in goal-oriented interactions than in ceremonial ones. Our results also contribute to previous discussions relating to Ide's (1989) renowned notion of ‘discernment’.