What is a downgrade?

Definition
	A downgrade is a move that weakens or mitigates a previous utterance in order to make it more acceptable.

Examples (English)
	Adding an offer of assistance to a request in order to make it more acceptable Suggesting ways a request could be easily accomplished in order to make it more acceptable

Generic
	A downgrade is a kind of
	What is a move?

Source
	Moerman 1988 164–165, 177

Context for this page:

Concept module: downgrade
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): D
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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