Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates how gratitude expressions may be expressed in Tshivenda. Studies on the expressions of gratitude have been conducted in various languages. Politeness is a pragmatic mechanism in which a variety of structures work together according to the speaker's intention of achieving smooth communication. Speech acts on the other hand is the same as an illocutionary act (intention of the sender). The same world can be used to perform different speech acts. The findings in this study is based on situations in which gratitude is expressed in response to receiving a reward, gift, favour, service and compliment (Eisentein and Bodman 1986). Gratitude is expressed when a person benefits from another person. In this study the data shows consistent use of expressions of gratitude within specific contexts. The results of this study are consistently interpretable in that the bigger the imposition on the giver, the more polite expressions are employed. Gratitude expressions have been analysed from gratitude functions. These functions include the following: Thanking, appreciations, liking, surprise, generosity, pleasure, indebtedness, relief, desire, caring, enthusiasm, reciprocate, reason, reassurance and compliment. In Tshivenda thanks, pleasure and appreciation have a high frequency and these gratitude functions show extreme politeness of the Venda people. There are also certain functions in Tshivenda which have a very low frequency, i.e. reason, desire, enthusiasm, reciprocate, generosity and caring. Therefore, they are not considered as possible gratitude functions in Tshivenda and are also unfamiliar in Tshivenda. / AFRRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe uitdrukkings van dankbaarheid in Tshivenda uitgedruk kan word. Studies oor uitdrukkings van dankbaarheid is gedoen in verskeie tale. Beleefdheid is 'n pragmatiese meganisme waarin 'n verskeidenheid strukture saamwerk volgens die spreker se bedoeling om gladde kommunikasie te bewerkstellig. Spraakhandelinge, aan die anderkant, is dieselfde as illokusionere handelinge (bedoeling van die spreker). Dieselfde woord kan gebruik word om verskillende Spraakhandelinge uit te voer. Die bevindinge in hierdie studie is gebaseer op situasies waarin dankbaarheid uitgespreek word as antwoord op die ontvangs van 'n beloning, geskenk, guns en kompliment (Eisenstein en Bodman, 1986). Dankbaarheid word uitgedruk wanneer 'n persoon voordeel trek uit 'n ander persoon. In hierdie studie toon die data eenvormige gebruik van uitdrukkings van dankbaarheid binne spesifieke kontekste. Die resultate van hierdie studie is telkens interpreteerbaar soos volg: hoe grater die druk op die gewer, hoe meer beleefd is die dankbaarheids- uitdrukkings. Suike uitdrukkings is geanaliseer vanaf dankbaarheidsfunksies, naamlik bedanking, waardering, voorkeur, verrassing, vrygewigheid, plesier, skuld, verligting, begeerte, entoesiasme, wederkerigheid, rede, versekering en kompliment. In Tshivenda het bedanking, plesier en waardering 'n hoe frekwensie van voorkoms en hierdie dankbaarheidsuitdrukkings toon die besondere beleefdheid van die Venda. Daar is ook sekere funksies in Tshivenda wat 'n bate lae frekwensie het, naamlik rede, begeerte, entoesiasme, wederkerigheid, vrygewigheid en sorg. Dus kan hulle nie beskou word as moontlike dankbaarheidsfunksies in Tshivenda nie.