Between Sincerity and Politeness: A Sociopragmatic Analysis of Ritual Offerings and Politeness Strategies among Libyan Arabic Speakers.

Abstract

This study investigates the complex sociopragmatic phenomenon of mjamla (social courtesy or flattery) within the specific communicative domain of ritualistic offering among Libyan Arabic speakers. While the act of offering food, services, or hospitality is a universal feature of politeness systems, the Libyan context presents a unique interplay between genuine intent (sincerity) and performative social maintenance (ritual). Drawing upon Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory, Spencer-Oatey’s (2008) rapport management framework, and recent developments in the study of ostensible speech acts, this research analyzes data collected from 50 Libyan participants via Discourse Completion Tasks (DCTs) and semi-structured qualitative interviews. The findings reveal that what is frequently dismissed by outsiders as "empty" ritualistic offering actually serves critical face-saving functions, negotiates social hierarchies, and indexes group membership. The study identifies specific linguistic strategies—most notably the "rule of three offers" and hyperbolic insistence utilizing religious oaths—that systematically distinguish mjamla from sincere transactional offers. Furthermore, the results indicate a significant generational shift, with younger speakers exhibiting ambivalence toward high-effort mjamla strategies compared to older generations. This paper contributes to the broader field of Arabic pragmatics by offering a nuanced understanding of how "insincerity" in ritual offering is not a violation of Gricean maxims but a culturally codified strategy for social cohesion.