Means of Expressing Communicative Threats to the Addressee’s and Addresser’s Negative Face in German Linguoculture

Abstract

This article analyses the ways of expressing communicative threats to the negative face of the addresser and addressee in German linguoculture based on the material of modern fiction by German-speaking authors. Negative face is understood as the interlocutor’s desire not to be subjected to any actions (requests, orders, advice, etc.) by other communicants. A number of scholarly works focus on politeness in communication; the most significant contribution to the topic has been made by American sociolinguists P. Brown, S. Levinson and G. Lakoff, German linguists N. Nixdorf and A. Zarend, as well as Russian researcher T.V. Larina. This paper is based on the works of the aforementioned scholars. The communicative category of politeness, negative politeness in particular, plays a significant role in modern everyday German. The article aimed to determine the ways of expressing communicative threats to the negative face of the addresser and addressee that are relevant to the modern German language, as well as to analyse their effects on the further course of communication. The practical part of the study is based on the method of linguocultural analysis. As a result, specific features of communicative politeness in German were identified: it is negative politeness that is most widespread (positive politeness strategies are less commonly used). This applies to face-threatening acts (requests, advice, orders, threats, etc.) aimed at both the addressee and the addresser. Based on the results of the research, a conclusion is made about the relevance of further study into this topic as well as the importance of mastering the communicative category of politeness when studying German as a foreign language.