A Contrastive Study of Politeness Strategies Between Arumpone and Batara Wajo Based on Dialogue Discourse in the Lontara Latoa and Sukku'na Wajo Manuscripts

Abstract

This paper aims to demonstrate the differences in the values of linguistic politeness strategies in the Bugis language inherited by King Bone, Arumpone (abbreviated as AP), and King Wajo, Batara Wajo (abbreviated as BW), respectively through the Latoa Lontara manuscript (Bone) and the Sukku'na Wajo Lontara manuscript. This is very interesting because theoretically (Brown & Levinson, 1978), the dialogue in the two Lontara manuscripts was asymmetrical or hierarchical (the dialogue between the king and the subordinates), so superiors may use the cukuk speech to subordinates. However, this study found that BW used the cukuk speech, while AP did not. The difference in the choice of politeness strategy was that AP chose the type of distance politeness or self-politeness, while BW chose camaraderie politeness. As for subordinates, they should use congaa speech to their superiors in asymmetrical speech situations. However, the facts show that the subordinates of both kings never use the congaa speech to their respective superiors. In this case, Kajaolallido (abbreviated as KL), the AP's subordinate used the sanraa speech as used by AP to him, and even used the cukuk speech to AP when was asked to give moral advice. Meanwhile, BW's subordinates always used the cukuk language to BW. The most important finding here is that the power of the moral advice variable became the determining variable in choosing the politeness strategy and shifts the power of the social status variable.