Russian vs. American politeness

[Alina Israeli]

No, Wayles, I think it may look sometimes similar but in essence they  
are almost opposite. American politeness is in non-encroaching on your  
time and space, your desires etc. Hence all the conditionals: would  
you mind, could i ask you, I'll be quick, may I...

Russian is only concerned with making oneself (the speaker) very small  
and insignificant: я вам не помешаю.

Also Russian statements Ах я дурак or Вру‒вру (meaning  
ошибаюсь) are ways to make oneself lower compared to the  
addressee.

Maybe specialists in Christianity could chime in, because a Russian  
Christian is раб божий, OK, божий, but раб. And it's  
ingrained in communication.

On Oct 4, 2013, at 10:43 AM, E Wayles Browne wrote:

> Alina cites 'nebol'šoj vopros' as an example of specifically Russian  
> politeness--if it's a small question, it will seem less onerous to  
> the addressee. But doesn't American English use the same ploy? My  
> students say or write "Can I ask you a quick question?" to make it  
> seem that they will not keep me busy for very long.
>
> -- 
> Wayles Browne, Prof. of Linguistics
> Department of Linguistics
> Morrill Hall 220, Cornell University
> Ithaca, New York 14853, U.S.A.
>
> tel. 607-255-0712 (o), 607-273-3009 (h)
> fax 607-255-2044 (write FOR W. BROWNE)
> e-mail ewb2 at cornell.edu
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures  
> list [SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU] on behalf of Alina Israeli [aisrael at AMERICAN.EDU 
> ]
> Sent: Friday, October 04, 2013 10:27 AM
> To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] О потере чувства стиля  
> (Raia Rozina RAN)
>
> It's an interesting interview, but unfortunately Rozina mixes  
> different things there. For example,
>
> И вот я сталкиваюсь с тем, что  
> студентка посылает мне часть своей  
> курсовой работы и одновременно хочет  
> задать какой-то вопрос. Она пишет: «Я  
> хочу задать вам небольшой вопрос». И  
> задает вполне большой содержательный  
> вопрос. Но чтобы сделать свой  
> поступок, как она считает, более  
> приемлемым для меня и менее опасным,  
> она пишет так.
>
> Ah, that's a great example of Russian politeness (as a term of  
> communication). Japanese politeness elevates the addressee in many  
> ways, to start with the suffix -san. Russian politeness lowers the  
> speaker. By calling it 'небольшой вопрос' she  
> minimizes her own and the question's importance. She knows Russian  
> communication etiquette which is so hard to teach to foreigners.
>
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Alina Israeli
Associate Professor of Russian
WLC, American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave.
Washington DC 20016
(202) 885-2387 	fax (202) 885-1076
aisrael at american.edu






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