Humilifics in Mabzhi pastoralist speech of Amdo Tibetan

Abstract

AbstractPoliteness strategies using specific word forms and morphemes are well known in Tibetan, in whichhonorificexpressions are in the majority. However, for Amdo Tibetan the politeness register is less well known. In this paper, the humilific politeness system of Mabzhi Amdo Tibetan is discussed in terms of ten morphologically-formed types, eight types of noun suffixes (/-ŋən/, /-tɕhəl/, /-tɕhəχ/, /-choχ/, /-ɦdəx/, /-ʈʋ̩/, /-rgen/, and /-ʂti/), and two adjective types (/ʔa xha ma/ and /nɖanɖa/), as well as suppletion. In addition, the article discusses both the use and misuse of humilifics providing case examples from natural conversation settings as well as a crosstalk (kha shags) performance to illustrate how humilifics are deployed, treated, and evaluated in the contemporary world of Mabzhi Tibetans.