Address Terms as Rapport Management Strategies in the Speech Act of Request: Evidences from Rudbari Dialect of South Kerman

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Linguistics Department, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Linguistics, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran

4 Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

This study investigates the function of address terms in the speech act of request within the Rudbari dialect of South Kerman, exploring how these linguistic elements manage rapport in a tribe-oriented context. Adopting a descriptive-analytical method with a qualitative ethnographic approach, data were collected via naturally occurring speech recordings and field observations of 47 native speakers, and subsequently analyzed using Spencer-Oatey’s (2008) Rapport Management framework. Findings reveal that speakers, through the strategic selection of terms of endearment, real and fictive kinship expressions, religious titles, and local interactional markers, simultaneously manage face, sociality rights, and interactional goals. The results indicate that address terms are not peripheral elements but fundamental tools within stylistic and participation domains for mitigating imposition and enhancing group solidarity. Ultimately, requesting in Rudbari culture emerges as an inherently relationship-oriented and norm-governed practice, whose analysis requires a deep understanding of the cultural context and social structures governing this speech community.

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Main Subjects

Linguistic Studies: Theory and Practice

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 July 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 24 February 2026
  • Revise Date: 30 May 2026
  • Accept Date: 03 July 2026

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