Refusals of invitations and offers in Persian: Genuine or ostensible?

Abstract This study investigated instances of Persian genuine and ostensible (ritual) refusals produced in response to genuine offers and invitations. The data was collected through ethnographic observations and was analyzed in light of a modified version of defining properties and features of ostensible speech acts proposed by Isaacs and Clark (1990). Furthermore, cultural schemas and sociocultural norms underlying ostensible refusals in Persian were investigated through focus group interviews (FGI). The results revealed that although the features of ostensible speech acts proposed by Isaacs and Clark (1990) are present in ostensible refusals in Persian, they are not always sufficient to distinguish Persian ritual and genuine refusals. The results of the focus group interviews also showed that ritual refusals in Persian are complex speech acts strongly linked to Persian cultural schemas of