Publications

Publication details [#21030]

Wolfson, Nessa. 1980. The compliment as a social strategy. Papers in Linguistics 13 (3) : 391–410.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English
Language as a subject

Annotation

Within the framework of ethnography of speaking, the author presents an analysis of the speech act of complimenting in American English. The major focus is a discussion of the way in which compliments are used in a variety of social situations. It is argued that, whatever the immediate discourse function, complimenting has the underlying social function of creating or reinforcing solidarity between speaker and hearer.