Kim Ridealgh: Understanding (Im)politeness in Ancient Egyptian, Gebunden

Klappentext

The Late Ramesside Letters comprise over seventy surviving texts from the end of Egypt's New Kingdom, created by a community living around the Medinet Habu temple complex in western Thebes. These letters reveal how individuals negotiated varied social relationships and communicative norms, including interactions with the divine. By applying frameworks from (Im)politeness Research - such as Discernment Politeness, Facework, Politic Behaviour, Frame Theory, and Ritual - it is possible to reconstruct the underlying (im)politeness system that shaped all communication within this community. This approach highlights how specific linguistic patterns supported social harmony, managed tensions, and facilitated obligations to both people and gods. The analysis also identifies emerging phenomena that require new theoretical directions, such as the unique strategies used to maintain relationships with deities. Ultimately, the letters demonstrate that Power permeated every level of interaction, and its centrality within this linguaculture challenges modern assumptions about how Power operates in contemporary societies.