Pedir perdón en latín. el acto de habla de la disculpa en las obras de plauto y terencio

Abstract

This paper presents a pragmatic analysis of the notion of «apology» in the synchronic stage reflected in the comedies written by Plautus and Terence. This allows to deepen the understanding of the expression of linguistic politeness in Latin. The linguistic act of apology is defined as the attempt of repairing an offence committed against the addressee, in order to recover the former situation of equilibrium. Thus, apologies are inherently polite speech acts that threaten the speaker's social face, while protecting the addressee's public self image. The study offers an overview of the expressive strategies for apologizing that can be recognized in the abovementioned works, taking into consideration the contexts of use and the differences caused by the speaker's profile.