Mchango wa Mikakati ya Upole Katika Mazungumzo ya ibada ya Mazishi katika Lugha ya Kikabrasi

Swahili Suala la upole limetafitiwa na wasomi wengi kwenye mawasiliano, ikiwemo mazungumzo ya abiria na wahudumu wa magari ya uchukuzi kwa lugha ya Kikamba. Hata hivyo, utafiti huu haukuweka wazi udhihirikaji na matumizi ya mikakati ya upole katika muktadha wa ibada ya mazishi katika lugha ya Kikabrasi na umuhimu wake kwenye mawasiliano. Makala haya yanachunguza udhihirikaji, matumizi, sababu, na umuhimu wa mikakati hii ya upole kwenye hafla za mazishi. Utafiti huu uliongozwa na nadharia ya Brown na Levinson (1987). Sampuli ilichaguliwa kimakusudi kutoka hafla kumi na tano za ibada ya mazishi katika kitongoji cha Namanja, eneo bunge la Malava, Kakamega, kwa kuzingatia lugha ya Kikabrasi ikilinganishwa na Kiswahili. Usemi wa wanenaji wa hirimu zote, bila ubaguzi wa jinsia, ulirekodiwa kwa idhini ya utawala wa kijiji na kuwekwa katika kategoria za mikakati ya upole kama ilivyopendekezwa na Brown na Levinson. Matokeo yanaonyesha wazungumzaji hutumia mikakati ya upole, hasa mkakati hasi na mkakati nje ya rekodi, kwa sababu za kunasa hisia za wasikilizaji na kuhifadhi sitara zao, hasa waliofiwa, bila kudhuru sitara zao. Utafiti huu utawezesha wasikilizaji na waombolezaji kupata marifa na ustadi katika kuwahutubia watu wa tabaka mbalimbali katika jamii changamano, na kuongeza data kwa uga wa isimu. Unapendekeza uchunguzi zaidi wa changamoto za mikakati ya upole katika mawasiliano, hasa katika sherehe ya kumbukumbu ya mashujaa na Jukwaa la Facebook.English The concept of politeness has been widely studied in the field of communication. For instance, the study of politeness in the transport sector among the passengers and the service providers in the Kamba speaking language. However, little attention has been given to the role of politeness strategies in funeral services. This study seeks to address this gap by investigating how politeness strategies are employed in funeral service communication among Kabrasi speakers, guided by Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory. The sample was purposively drawn from fifteen funeral ceremonies in Namanja Sublocation, Malava Constituency, Kakamega County, with a focus on Kabrasi language use in comparison to Swahili. Speech from participants of all ages and both genders was recorded with the approval of village administration and analysed according to Brown and Levinson’s typology of politeness strategies. Findings indicate that speakers predominantly employ negative and off-record strategies for the purpose of attracting mourners’ attention and protecting their positive image both self and the listeners. Also, speakers use positive and negative politeness strategies more than other politeness strategies for the purpose of condoling and giving message of hope to the bereaved without interfering with their positive image. The study provides insights for mourners and community members on effective communication across diverse social groups in complex communities. It also contributes valuable data to the field of linguistics. The study recommends further research on the challenges of applying politeness strategies in other communicative contexts, such as Mashujaa public holiday and online platforms like Facebook.Keywords: Face, Kabrasi, politeness strategies, widows