The use of communicative mitigation strategy in the modern Russian language (On the material of the diplomatic discourse)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of particular features of the speech strategy of mitigation in modern Russian diplomatic discourse. The mitigation strategy as a whole is aimed at softening the evaluation of the described situation, as well as reducing the level of (possible) tension in the situation, and avoiding categorical evaluation of something or someone. In the Russian diplomatic discourse, the strategy of mitigation is represented by the tactics of preterition (intentional understatement), generalization, evasion of a direct negative answer, or direct denial, removal (depersonification of the subject of the utterance), as well as tactics of lithotomy mitigation. The content side and the means of linguistic expression of each of the tactics are also considered in the process of analysis.