A Theoretical Review of the Speech Act of Offering: Towards a Categorization of its Use in Jordanian Arabic

Abstract

As offers in Jordanian Arabic neither have an explicit performative nor may be expressed by a particular linguistic pattern unlike other speech acts e.g. requests, advice, or warning, they can be realized through a range of different linguistic patterns. Based on this, Jordanian Arabic offers have mixed characteristics, which in turn, affect their linguistic patterns. Since the analysis of Jordanian Arabic daily offers is still very much in its infancy, this research paper is devoted to exploring the linguistic strategies of Jordanian Arabic offer as employed by 100 Jordanians in their daily interactions. To accomplish the objective of this paper, data were collected through a DCT consisting of 10 hypothetical situations that represent everyday interactions. To help find all the nuances in the offer strategies and their linguistic patterns, responses to the situations were qualitatively analyzed through arranging the data in a tabular form. Interactional roles of the interactants were found to be the key to the formation of the four proposed offer aspects: directive-end, commissive-end, directive-and commissive end, and directive-nor commissive-end. These aspects were then classified under the three constructed types of offers: direct, conventionally-indirect, and non-conventionally indirect. This paper generates a hypothesis for further studies that direct offers may be more polite than their indirect counterparts. Also, it strongly invokes a very near-reaching research paper concentrating on the socio-pragmatic constraints that influence offers in Jordanian Arabic. Keywords: Speech Acts, Jordanian Arabic Offers, Directive, Commissive, Direct, (Non) Conventionally Indirect.