UNSERE TÄGLICHE GESCHÄFTSKORRESPONDENZ – AN DER SCHNITTSTELLE ZWISCHEN DEM FORMELLEN UND INFORMELLEN STIL
OUR DAILY BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE – AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN FORMAL AND INFORMAL STYLES

Summary/Abstract: The present paper sets out to unravel some of the current tendencies in the present-day business correspondence, according to which formal writings appear to greenlight the inflow of linguistic patterns specific to both formal and informal styles. For this purpose, we analyse Romanian and German business letters and pinpoint those constructions which highlight the overlaps between the official and unofficial registers. We thereby conclude that the mixture of tones externalizes in the inadequate combination of salutations and closing forms, in a high degree of subjectivity, reinforced by a strong I-centered approach. Moreover, informality blends into business letters in such a way that it often results in colloquialisms, in rambling and casual formulations, in dramatisations as well as in more profound expressions of emotions.

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