POLITENESS AS A PRAGMATIC CATEGORY: CONTEXT, INTENTIONALITY, AND COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

Abstract

In linguistic pragmatics, politeness transcends mere social etiquette or normative behavior; it functions as a core pragmatic category governing human interaction. This paper explores politeness as a dynamic mechanism through which speakers balance communicative efficiency, social relationships, and interpersonal goals. By examining foundational models—including Robin Lakoff’s politeness rules, Geoffrey Leech’s Politeness Principle, and Penelope Brown and Stephen C. Levinson’s Face-Management Theory—this paper analyzes how contextual parameters, speaker intentions, and cultural norms interact during speech events. Furthermore, the paper highlights the crucial role of politeness within communicative competence, demonstrating that linguistic success relies not only on grammatical precision but also on sociopragmatic appropriateness. Finally, a comparative cross-cultural analysis of English and Uzbek pragmalinguistic realizations illustrates how positive and negative politeness strategies operate across distinct linguistic structures.