The Use of Kuwaiti Arabic Address Terms as Politeness Strategies in Podcasts
Abstract
This paper explores the use of male Kuwaiti Arabic (K.A.) address terms in Kuwaiti podcasts through the lens of Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory. Specifically, the study analyzed how different terms correspond to different politeness strategies. This was achieved by listing common male address terms in K.A. and counting instances of their usage in discourse. The analysis of three long-form public interactions showed how K.A. face-work is managed in naturalistic, high-stakes conversations. The findings suggested that address terms function as flexible social resources where politeness qualities emerge from contextual information like timing and repetition in Kuwaiti Arabic podcasts.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Language
Discourse
Communication Strategies
Linguistics and Language Analysis
Linguistics and Discourse Analysis
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Middle East Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 01
- Pages
- 1–6
- Publication date
- 7 February 2026
- Language
- EN