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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Definition of Pragmatics
Pragmatics is different from the study of grammar. Pragmatics is the study of language use which offers a complementary perspective on language, providing
an insight into the linguistics choices that users make in social situations. It is not too important whether they observe a particular syntactic rule or not. Pragmatics
is a branch of linguistics that studies the structure externally, That is, how the unit of language used in communication.
1
According to Yule, pragmatics is a concerned with the study of meaning as communicated by a speaker and
interpreted by a listener. He defined there are four definition about pragmatics, i.e.;
1. Pragmatics is the study of the speaker meaning.
2. Pragmatics is the study of contextual meaning.
3. Pragmatics is the study of how more gets communicated than is said.
4. Pragmatics is the study of the expression of relative distance.
2
According to Jacob L. Mey, “Pragmatics is the study of the condition of human language uses as these are determined by the context of society,
3
while according to Levinson, Pragmatics is the study of those relations between
1
Wijana, I Dewa Putu, Dasar-Dasar Pragmatik. Yogyakarta: ANDI Yogyakarta, 1996, p. 2.
2
Yule, George, Pragmatics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 3-4.
3
Jacob l. Mey, Pragmatics an Introduction Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell publishers, 2001, p. 6.
language and context that are grammatically, or encoded in the structure of a language.
4
Based on some definitions above, the writer assumes that pragmatics is the study of language in human communication and it has a relation with context of
language.
B. Definition of Politeness
Etiquette can be viewed from various aspects of daily life. One of them is etiquette in communication or called politeness language. Politeness or etiquette is
a custom that is prevailed in the society.
5
According to Lakoff politeness is “A system of interpersonal relations designed to facilitate interaction by minimizing
the potential for conflict and confrontation inherent in all human interchange”.
6
As for politeness by Richard et al is quoted by Rahardi in his book, politeness can be understood as follows: Politeness is how the language shows
the social distance between the speakers and the relationship of their role in a society.
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Based on some definitions above, politeness can be interpreted as a particular concept, contained in a polite behavior or etiquette in a culture.
4
Stephen C. Levinson, Pragmatics Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983, p. 9.
5
Jacob L Mey, 2001, Op.cit, p. 60.
6
Eelen, Gino. A Critique of Politeness Theories. Manchaster: St. Jerome Publishing, 2001, p. 2.
7
Rahardi, R. Kunjana. Pragmatik: Kesantunan Imperatif Bahasa Indonesia. Jakarta: Erlangga, 2002, p. 6.
In study of pragmatics, Leech will be in favor of the study by means of conversational principles of the kind illustrated by H.P. Grice’s Cooperative
Principle. Leech wants to introduce into pragmatics not only Cooperative principle, but other principles, such as a Politeness Principle. The kind of
constraint on linguistic behavior exemplified by Grice’s Cooperative Principle differs from the kind of normally rules in linguistics, like “principles” and
“maxim” usage, because according to Grice, maxim is manifestation of the former. In Searle’s terminology, conversational principles and maxims are
regulative rather than constitutive. The rules of language normally count as an integral part of the definition of that language, but maxims do not.
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C. Polite and Impolite Behavior
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