A study on politeness expressions in Azerbaijani language based on theatrical texts

In our study, the use of Brown and Levinson's (1978, 1987) politeness strategies in Azerbaijani language is examined. The data for this study consist of five literary works selected from Azerbaijani literature. These works are included in the five-volume anthology Azerbaycan Dramaturgiyası Antologiyası published in 2007, which features prominent pieces of Azerbaijani literature. The selected plays are: "Sǝrgüzǝşti mǝrdi-xǝsis (Hacı Qara)" by Mirzə Fətəli Axundzadə, "Ölülər" by Cəlil Məmmədquluzadə, "Nadir Şah" by Nəriman Nərimanov, "Qatil" by Elçin, and "Şəhərin Yay Günləri" by Anar. The aim of this study is to examine the role of politeness in interpersonal communication and to try to determine which politeness strategies are used by writers in the Azerbaijani literary language. The subject of the study is to examine politeness strategies in Azerbaijani language theater plays within the framework of Brown and Levinson's politeness theory. Within the scope of the research, politeness strategies that mark positive and negative faces were analyzed. In the analyzed texts, it is observed that positive politeness strategies are more commonly used compared to negative politeness strategies. The most frequently identified strategy in the study is "Using in-group identity markers (positive strategy 4)," which appears (392) times. The least identified strategy is "Being conventionally indirect (negative strategy 1)," which appears (5) times.