Analysis of Compliments and Compliment Responses Used by Male and Female Pashto Language Speakers

Abstract

The present study aims to explore compliments and compliment responses used by male and female Pashto language speakers. Current research utilized Discourse Completion Test (DCT) as instrument of collecting data. The DCTs, designed for this study consist of compliments and compliment responses scenarios related with four situational settings related with appearance, personal traits, skills and possessions. The analysis reveals that the formulaic expression and appreciation token were two major response types which were most frequently used by both genders.  Most of the findings related with the gender differences in compliments and compliment responses are specific to Pashtun culture and society; however, some of them have resemblance to Turkish, Nigerian, Iranian, and Arabic cultures. This study suggests that gender differences in compliments and compliment responses might be universal but how speakers reflect them in their sociolinguistic behavior may not be uniform across cultures.