Some puzzles of politeness and impoliteness within a formal semantics of offensive language

Abstract

Puzzles of linguistic politeness and impoliteness are outlined. A framework for articulating formal semantic theories of linguistic politeness and impoliteness is adopted. The framework provides a foundation for a semantic theory that builds on past argument that (im)politeness behaviors arise from offence management associated with disgust. The theory is shown to explain some of the puzzles of (im)politeness.