Semantization of Politeness in the Russian Language: A Meta-Communicative Aspect

The purpose of the article is to examine the conceptualization of the notions polite/impolite and their derivatives through the lens of Russian mentality and values. The study employs a mixed method research design including discourse analysis, lexicographic, contextual, and conversational analyses. Drawing upon the data from the National Corpus of the Russian Language (a total of 6,893 instances), the article shows that the terms polite and impolite are used as meta-communicative characterization of verbal and non-verbal behavior. The complexity of their investigation is due to the vagueness of their semantics, dependence on social context, and their dialogical nature. The paper goes on to discuss the relationship between politeness and the use of adjacency pairs, preferred communicative actions, prognostic and corrective functions of communication monitoring, etc. Although politeness is traditionally evaluated positively, the study suggests that it is multifaceted and not always positive. Exaggerated politeness can serve as a means of distancing oneself from the interlocutor, a manipulation tool, or an attempt to conceal dissatisfaction and dislike. Differences in the inner form of the words denoting politeness in Russian and other languages, projected onto ethical principles, etiquette norms, and basic values, indicate discrepancies in the conceptualization of these notions and should be taken into account in intercultural contacts.