Abstract
Denigration is the classification of the hearer by the speaker in one or more categories that the hearer feels are inferior for him here-and-now. It is parasitic in all kinds of utterances, including questions. In this paper we study two major modes in which denigration can occur, substantive and formal. Substantive denigration is carried in assertions implied in some kinds of questions. Formal denigration is caused by an action of the speaker that violates certain maxims formally guiding the interaction. Various subcategories of both modes are given and instances of denigration are discussed.
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