From Ta’ārof to Ostensible Speech Acts: A Cross-cultural Analysis of Persian and American Apology Practices

Abstract

While genuine apologies have been widely studied across various cultural and linguistic contexts, ostensible apologies—those used not to express sincere regret but to maintain social harmony—remain underexplored. These speech acts can lead to misinterpretations and communication challenges, particularly in Persian-American interactions, where cultural expectations around politeness differ significantly. In Persian, ostensible apologies are deeply embedded in the cultural practice of ta’ārof, influencing how politeness and social hierarchy are negotiated. Despite their prevalence, Persian ostensible apologies (POAs) have not been systematically analyzed in relation to their American counterparts. Previous research on ostensible speech acts (OSAs), introduced by Isaacs & Clark (1990) and later refined by Link & Kreuz (2005), primarily focuses on English contexts, leaving a gap in understanding their function in Persian discourse. This study addresses this gap by integrating American English-based OSA features with the Persian meta-implicature framework of ta’ārof, as outlined by Yaqubi (2021). Through a cross-cultural analysis, this research offers a unified framework for interpreting Persian ostensible apologies, emphasizing their implications for intercultural communication, second-language learning, diplomatic discourse, and translation studies. By bridging theoretical and cultural perspectives, this study enhances understanding of Persian-English pragmatic differences and provides practical insights for fostering cross-cultural awareness in academic and professional settings.