Presenting Unsupported Claims As A Survey: Status & Lexis

Martin (1992: 529):

Table 7.10. Aspects of the realisation of unequal status
Unequal status non-reciprocity [grammar foregrounded]	dominate	defer
lexis	explicit bodily functions	euphemise
	swearing	tempered swearing

Blogger Comments:

The claim here is that:

• the lexis of "explicit bodily functions" and "swearing" construes the tenor feature 'dominate', whereas
• the lexis of "euphemise" and "tempered swearing" construes the tenor feature 'defer'.

This claim can be falsified by a concrete example:

• the lexis of "explicit bodily functions" and "swearing" of a handcuffed person being arrested by police is claimed to construe the tenor feature 'dominate', whereas
• the lexis of "euphemise" and "tempered swearing" of the arresting officers is claimed to construe the tenor feature 'defer'.