Options
Title
Nice as a cultural keyword: The semantics behind Australian discourses of sociality
Series
Pragmatics & Beyond New Series
Author(s)
Publication Date
2017
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008
Abstract
This chapter investigates the English word nice as a cultural keyword, around which sociality discourses revolve. Focusing on its semantic scope in Australian discourse, the keyword nice has an important story to tell about socially accepted and approved ways of thinking, communicating and behaving. Oftentimes nice has been trivialised, or even ridiculed as an “empty word”, but closer scrutiny reveals that nice has all the characteristics of a cultural keyword. It is frequent and foundational in Australian discourse, and it reflects cultural logics, values and orientations. Also, as is common with cultural keywords, nice lacks translational equivalents, even in closely related languages. A comparison with French gentil demonstrates how nice is distinctive in the way it organises and maintains specific discursive orders.
Publication Type
Book Chapter
Source of Publication
Cultural Keywords in Discourse, p. 25-54
Publisher
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Place of Publication
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020
Peer Reviewed
Yes
HERDC Category Description
ISBN
9789027265470
9789027256829
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Permanent link to this record