“I hope this is your last sorrow”

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to examine condolence strategies and the sociocultural norms underlying the realisation of the speech act of condolence in Persian. To achieve this, a three-layered data collection methodology including two focus group interviews (FGIs), field notes, and a discourse completion task (DCT) were used. FGIs and field notes were utilised to shed light on the cultural norms as well as any variables affecting the expressions of condolence. The DCT, on the other hand, was administered to explicate the form and frequency of condolence strategies in Persian. Results indicate that, influenced by six sociocultural variables, 20 distinct condolence strategies are used in Persian. Furthermore, findings show that, while these strategies are used with varying degrees of frequency in different situations, when expressing condolence, Persian speakers place high importance on empathising with the bereaved interlocutor.