A linguistic analysis of backbiting phenomenon

Absenteeism or backbiting is a social phenomenon as it involves the abuse of unequal conditions in interactions; it is a Cognitive phenomenon as it involves the interference with the process of understanding and mind control. And a discursive phenomenon as the language is the field of its representation. In this research we present discursal analyses of this phenomenon through “move analyses” and exhibit the pattern(s) of text order according to Biber, Connor & Upton (2007) and Sasani and Yazdani (1392). For this purpose 16 case of backbiting being occurred during larger verbal events were analyzed. We also show how backbiter uses manipulation strategy to interfere with the hearer cognition so to achieve his goal. Move analyses shows that backbiting consists of 6 main moves each of which has its own strategies.