Sex, Politeness and Stereotypes 
SEX, POLITENESS AND STEREOTYPES
SEX, POLITENESS AND STEREOTYPES
In this paper, we are examining styles and registers, the way language is used, and linguistic attitude, the issue of “woman’s language” is one which illustrates all these concept. Is women’s language a distinct style or register of a language? Are women more polite than men? Are there any differences in the way women and men interact? How is language used to refer to women and men? What massage does the language used about women convey about their status in the community?
A. Women’s Language and Confidence
While some social dialectologist suggested that women were status conscious, and that this was reflected in their use of standard speech forms. Robin Lakof, an American linguist, suggested almost the opposite. She argued that women were using language which reinforced their subordinate status; they were “colluding in their own subordination” by the way the spoke.
Robin lakof shifted the focus of research on gender differences to syntax, semantic and style. She suggested that women’s coordinates social status in America society is reflected in the language women use, as well as in the language used about them. She identified a number of linguistic features which she claimed were used more often by women than by men, and which in her opinion expressed uncertainty and lack of confidence.
1. Features of “women’s language” Lakof suggested that women’s speech was characterized by linguistic features such as the following:
a) Lexical hedges or fillers, e. g. you know, sort of, well, you see.
b) Tag Question, e. g. she is very nice, isn’t she?
c) Rising intonation on declaratives, e. g. it’s really good.
d) “Empty” adjectives, e. g. divine, charming, cute.
e) Precise color terms, e. g. magenta, aquamarine.
f) Intensifiers such as just and so, e. g. I like him so much.
g)
SEX, POLITENESS AND STEREOTYPES
In this paper, we are examining styles and registers, the way language is used, and linguistic attitude, the issue of “woman’s language” is one which illustrates all these concept. Is women’s language a distinct style or register of a language? Are women more polite than men? Are there any differences in the way women and men interact? How is language used to refer to women and men? What massage does the language used about women convey about their status in the community?
A. Women’s Language and Confidence
While some social dialectologist suggested that women were status conscious, and that this was reflected in their use of standard speech forms. Robin Lakof, an American linguist, suggested almost the opposite. She argued that women were using language which reinforced their subordinate status; they were “colluding in their own subordination” by the way the spoke.
Robin lakof shifted the focus of research on gender differences to syntax, semantic and style. She suggested that women’s coordinates social status in America society is reflected in the language women use, as well as in the language used about them. She identified a number of linguistic features which she claimed were used more often by women than by men, and which in her opinion expressed uncertainty and lack of confidence.
1. Features of “women’s language” Lakof suggested that women’s speech was characterized by linguistic features such as the following:
a) Lexical hedges or fillers, e. g. you know, sort of, well, you see.
b) Tag Question, e. g. she is very nice, isn’t she?
c) Rising intonation on declaratives, e. g. it’s really good.
d) “Empty” adjectives, e. g. divine, charming, cute.
e) Precise color terms, e. g. magenta, aquamarine.
f) Intensifiers such as just and so, e. g. I like him so much.
g)