Pragmatic Analysis of Hedges in Male and Female Language

Hedging is a linguistic phenomenon used to convey interpersonal messages in spoken interaction. It is a communicative strategy which enables speakers to soften the force of utterances or moderate the assertive force of utterances. It is used widely in TV debates to make utterances more acceptable. The problem is that, in Iraq, there is no study which associates the use of hedges with gender as a social variable. Because no research has yet been conducted or approached on analyzing the types and functions of hedges used by males and females in TV debates.