zegwijze

Zegwijze is a term used in Dutch linguistics and language education to describe the manner in which something is spoken, beyond the propositional content of the words. It encompasses stylistic choices such as vocabulary selection, syntactic structure, intonation, rhythm, pace, volume, and nonverbal cues like pauses. The concept emphasizes how utterances are performed to signal politeness, stance, certainty, authority, or solidarity, rather than what is said.

Etymology and scope: The word combines zeggen (to say) with wijze (way, manner). While not universally standardized, zegwijze appears in some pragmatics and sociolinguistics discussions in Dutch-language literature as a way to talk about the delivery and performative aspects of speech. It is distinct from, yet related to, broader notions of language register and politeness.

Relation to related concepts: Zegwijze intersects with register, politeness strategies, and speech act theory. It focuses on delivery and social meaning in an utterance, not solely its content. In practice, conversations, teaching, and translation may involve attention to zegwijze to ensure the intended social effect is conveyed. In language education, instructors may teach zegwijze to help learners choose appropriate formality levels, tone, and emphasis.

Examples: A formal zegwijze might be "Zou u alstublieft zo vriendelijk kunnen zijn om..." whereas a casual zegwijze could be "Kun je even..." The same content is conveyed, but the delivery signals different social relations and levels of politeness.

See also: pragmatics, sociolinguistics, language register, politeness theory, speech act theory.