Social Meanings of the Hungarian Politeness Marker Tetszik in Doctor-Patient Communication

Ágnes Kuna; Ágnes Domonkosi

doi:10.2478/ausp-2020-0025

Abstract

The paper explores how the politeness marker tetszik is used in Hungarian and how its functions are evaluated by the participants of doctor-patient communication. The possible functions of tetszik are investigated on the basis of questionnaires filled in by 50 patients and 50 GPs. Data about the social meanings of tetszik are presented with regard to the following: proportions of the use of tetszik in doctor-patient communication; metapragmatic evaluations and attitudes to the use of tetszik by doctors and patients; probable strategies underlying its use. Based on the data, we conclude that the use of the politeness marker tetszik is prototypically respectful while conveying familiarity and friendliness, with the age, gender, and relative status of the interlocutors also taken into consideration.

References

Agha, Asif 2007. Language and social relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bartha, Csilla–Hámori, Ágnes. 2010. Stílus a szociolingvisztikában, stílus a diskurzusban. Nyelvi variabilitás és társas jelentések konstruálása a szociolingvisztika „harmadik hullámában” [Style in sociolinguistics, style in discourse: Linguistic variability and the construction of social meaning in the “third wave” of sociolinguistics]. Magyar Nyelvőr 134(3): 298–321.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Beach, Wayne A. 2013. Introduction. In: Beach, Wayne A. (ed.), Handbook of patient-provider interactions. New York: Oxford University Press. 1–18.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bednarek, Monika. 2011. Approaching the data of pragmatics. In: Bublitz, Wolfram–Norrick, Neal (eds.), Foundations of pragmatics. Berlin–Boston: Walter de Gruyter. 537–559.10.1515/9783110214260.537
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bigi, Sarah 2016. Communicating (with) care. A linguistic approach to the study of doctor-patient interactions. Amsterdam–Berlin–Washington: IOS.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Brown, Roger–Gilman, Albert. 1960. The pronouns of power and solidarity. In: Sebeok, Thomas A. (ed.), Style in language. Cambridge: MIT Press. 253–276.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Clyne, Michael–Norrby, Catrin–Warren, Jane. 2009. Language and human relations. Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511576690
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Coupland, Nikolas. 2007. Style: Language variation and identity. (Key topics in linguistics). Cambridge–New York: Cambridge University Press.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Csiszárik, Katalin–Domonkosi, Ágnes 2018. A gyógyító-beteg viszonylat megszólítási változatai egy mozgásszervi rehabilitációs osztály gyakorlatközösségében [Address form variants in healer-patient interactions in the practice community of a musculoskeletal rehabilitation ward]. Acta Universitas de Carolo Eszterházy Nominatae, Sectio Linguistica Hungarica (44): 109–128.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Domonkosi, Ágnes. 2002. Megszólítások és beszédpartnerre utaló elemek nyelvhasználatunkban [Address forms and elements referring to the interlocutor in Hungarian language use]. A DE Magyar Nyelvtudományi Intézetének Kiadványai. Vol. 79. Debrecen.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
2010. Variability in Hungarian address forms. Acta Linguistica Hungarica 57(1): 29–52.10.1556/ALing.57.2010.1.2
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
2018. The socio-cultural values of Hungarian V-forms of address Eruditio – Educatio 13(3): 61–72.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Domonkosi, Ágnes–Kuna, Ágnes. 2015a. A tetszikelés szociokulturális értéke. A tetszikelő kapcsolattartás szerepe az orvos-beteg kommunikációban [Socio-cultural values of a form of address: The role of tetszik in doctor-patient communication]. Magyar Nyelvőr 139(1): 39–63.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
2015b. „Hanyadikra tetszik menni?” – A kor szerepe a tetszikelés használatában [The role of age in the use of the tetszik construction]. In: Balázs, Géza–Veszelszki, Ágnes (eds.), Generációk nyelve. Budapest: ELTE Mai Magyar Nyelvi Tanszék – Inter – Magyar Szemiotikai Társaság. 273–285.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dömötör, Adrienn 2005. Tegezés/nemtegezés, köszönés, megszólítás a családban [T/V, greetings, and address within the family]. Magyar Nyelvőr 129(4): 299–318.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Eckert, Penelope–Rickford, John R. (eds.), 2001. Style and sociolinguistic variation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511613258
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ervin-Tripp, Susan. 1972. On sociolinguistic rules: Alternation and co-occurrence. In: Gumperz, J. John–Hymes, Dell (eds.), Directions in sociolinguistics: The ethnography of communication. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 213–250.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Heritage, John. 2019. The expression of authority in US primary care: Offering diagnoses and recommending treatment. Paper presented at the Georgetown University Round Table 2018. Approaches to discourse (Ms).
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Heritage, John–Maynard, Douglas (eds.). 2006. Communication in medical care: Interaction between primary care physicians and patients. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511607172
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hollós, Marida 1975. Comprehension and use of social rules in pronoun selection by Hungarian children. In: Ervin-Tripp, Susan–Mitchell-Kernan, Claudia (eds.), Child discourse. New York: Academic Press. 211–223.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kuna, Ágnes. 2016. Person deixis and self-representation in medical discourse: Usage patterns of first person deictic elements in communication by doctors. Jezyk, Komunikacja, Informacja/Language, Communication, Information 11: 99–121.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
2020. Változás az orvos-beteg kommunikációban. Változó szemlélet, módszer és gyakorlat [Change in doctor-patient communication. Changing models, methods, and practice]. Magyar Nyelvőr 144(3) (forthcoming).
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kuna, Ágnes–Hámori, Ágnes. 2019. „Hallgatom, mi a panasz?” A metapragmatikai reflexiók szerepei és mintázatai az orvos-beteg interakciókban [“I’m listening, what is the problem?” On the roles and patterns of metapragmatic reflections in doctor-patient interactions]. In: Laczkó, Krisztina–Tátrai, Szilárd (eds.), Kontextualizáció és metapragmatikai tudatosság. Budapest: Eötvös Collegium. 260–283.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kuna, Ágnes–Kaló, Zsuzsanna. 2014. Az orvos-beteg kommunikáció a családorvosi gyakorlatban [Doctor-patient communication in primary care]. In: Veszelszki, Ágnes–Lengyel, Klára (eds.), Tudomány, technolektus, terminológia. A tudományok, szakmák nyelve. Budapest: Éghajlat. 117–130.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Norrby, Catrin et al. 2015. Interpersonal relationships in medical consultations. Comparing Sweden Swedish and Finland Swedish address practices. Journal of Pragmatics (84): 121–138.10.1016/j.pragma.2015.05.006
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Norrby, Catrin–Wide, Camilla (eds.), 2015. Address practice as social action: European perspectives. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.10.1057/9781137529923
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Schilling-Estes, Natalie 2004. Investigating stylistic variation. In: Chambers, J. K.–Trudgill, Peter–Schilling-Estes, Natalie (eds.), The handbook of language variation and change. Malden–Oxford: Blackwell. 375–402.10.1111/b.9781405116923.2003.00023.x
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Stewart, Moira A. et al. (eds.). 2003. Patient-centered medicine: Transforming the clinical method. 2nd ed. Oxon: Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Svennevig, Jan. 1999. Getting acquainted in conversation. A study of initial interactions. Amsterdam–Philadelphia: Benjamins.10.1075/pbns.64
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Tátrai, Szilárd–Ballagó, Júlia. 2020. A stílustulajdonítás szociokulturális szituáltsága. Funkcionális kognitív pragmatikai megközelítés [Socio-cultural situatedness in style attribution. A functional cognitive pragmatic approach]. Magyar Nyelvőr 144(1): 1–41.10.38143/Nyr.2020.1.1
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Warren, Ed (ed.). 2006. B.A.R.D. in the practice. A guide for family doctors to consult efficiently, effectively and happily. Oxford: Radcliff Publishing.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Wide, Camilla et al. 2019. Variation in address practices across languages and nations: A comparative study of doctors’ use of address forms in medical consultations in Sweden and Finland. Pragmatics (29): 595–621.10.1075/prag.18031.wid
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Koutny, Ilona 2004. A 3. út: a tetszikelés [The 3rd way: Using tetszik]. VII. Nemzetközi Magyar Nyelvészeti Kongresszus [Presentation at the 7th International Hungarian Linguistics Congress]. Budapest. http://www.nytud.hu/NMNyK/eloadas/koutnyho.rtf (downloaded on: 01.22.2019).
Search in Google Scholar Back to article

Social Meanings of the Hungarian Politeness Marker Tetszik in Doctor-Patient Communication

Abstract

Paradigm

My account