Metalinguistic aspects of polite communication between author and reader (based on 18th-century German art history texts)

Abstract

The article aims to study the metalinguistic characteristics of polite communication. The analysis is carried out on the material of German art history texts of the 18th century. Through the comparison of art history texts written by J. J. Winckelmann, J. G. Herder and H. E. Lessing it is being revealed how and for what purpose the authors of these texts use formulas of politeness. The analysis is based on the theoretical foundations of pragmatic linguistics, sociolinguistics and metatext research. The results show that the actualisers of positive politeness include, for example, adjectives with the meaning of confidence, emotional expressions and the inclusive pronoun wir. By using these tools the author seeks to solidarise with the reader in the general academic field. Negative politeness strategies are used by the author to avoid imposing their views on the reader. The following negative politeness strategies were discovered: showing caution by hedging, demonstrating a lack of desire to impose one’s point of view and attributing all responsibility for what is written by personalisation. The results demonstrate that in research articles the reader is actively, albeit invisibly, present in the text. In general, positive politeness strategies are used by researchers to demonstrate solidarity with the fellow researchers and the research community at large. Negative strategies either depersonalise the information conveyed or, on the contrary, personalise it. Both approaches aim not to put any pressure on the reader.