Tuesday 30 August 2016

definitions - Does "敬語" (keigo) just mean "politeness" or is it a technical term specifically relating to Japanese grammar?


What is the difference between the Japanese term "敬語" (keigo) and the English term "politeness" (Specifically regarding language)?


I assumed politeness is more general covering things like "please" and "thank you" and that "敬語" (keigo) specifically referred to those aspects of Japanese grammar that deal with politeness in a technical way that has no equivalent in English.


But upon reading a bit and using this site a bit I'm not sure anymore. What are the overlaps and differences in meanings?


(I considered asking this as a meta question concerning the and tags but I decided it's of much broader interest.)





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