ICH HÄTTE GERN EIN EIS, BITTE. LINGUISTIC PATTERNS AT THE INTERSECTION OF LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTUR

Abstract

The article focuses on the linguistic pattern Ich hätte gern X (I would like X), which established itself around the turn of the millennium as a collectively preferred ordering formula in shopping and restaurant interactions. The omnipresence of this pattern in service encounters, along with the decline of indicative formulations such as Ich bekomme X (I get X), Ich kriege X (I get X) and Ich nehme X (I’ll take X), points to both a shift in linguistic politeness strategies and a broader change in cultural values. This change process motivated the author to analyze and describe the communicative effect and cultural significance of both the traditional and the new linguistic pattern. In order to trace the emergence and consolidation of the pattern Ich hätte gern X, relevant grammatical reference works were examined diachronically, and the Forschungs- und Lehrkorpus Gesprochenes Deutsch (FOLK) was consulted. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative corpus-linguistic methods, the pattern was systematically identified, described, and interpreted. The analysis revealed that Ich hätte gern X  began to appear frequently in language use during the first decade of the 21st century and is employed in various types of interaction to realize directive speech acts. The use of this routine formula by speakers who hold the authority to issue binding requests points to a shift in the cultural interpretation pattern “politeness.” This new form of politeness is manifested in the fact that speakers refrain from exercising their authority, interact with their interlocutors on an equal footing, and signal equality without hierarchical distinctions.