The Late Ramesside Letters comprise over seventy surviving texts from the end of Egypt's New Kingdom, created by a community living around the Medinet Habu temple complex in western Thebes. These letters reveal how individuals negotiated varied social relationships and communicative norms, including interactions with the divine. By applying frameworks from (Im)politeness Research – such as Discernment Politeness, Facework, Politic Behaviour, Frame Theory, and Ritual – it is possible to reconstruct the underlying (im)politeness system that shaped all communication within this community. This approach highlights how specific linguistic patterns supported social harmony, managed tensions, and facilitated obligations to both people and gods. The analysis also identifies emerging phenomena that require new theoretical directions, such as the unique strategies used to maintain relationships with deities. Ultimately, the letters demonstrate that Power permeated every level of interaction, and its centrality within this linguaculture challenges modern assumptions about how Power operates in contemporary societies.

‘This study presents a groundbreaking analysis of interpersonal interaction within the remote linguaculture of Ancient Egypt. In bridging the gap between antiquity and modernity, it delivers the theoretical framework and analytical tools necessary for a deeper understanding of (im)politeness in both historical and current contexts.’

Andreas H. Jucker - Professor Emeritus, University of Zurich

‘Original and illuminating, this book not only masterfully adapts modern (im)politeness theories to a temporally remote linguaculture, but also expands the discipline by introducing fresh concepts that challenge long-held assumptions about power, deference, emotion and everyday relationships in ancient societies.’

Luis Unceta Gómez - Senior Lecturer in Latin Philology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

‘Understanding (Im)politeness in Ancient Egyptian, written by a leading expert in the field, introduces the reader into the fascinating world of language use in archaic Egypt. The book also provides a fundamental contribution to historical pragmatics, considering that language use in the antique world has been regretfully understudied. Ridealgh's work is organised in a reader-friendly way, making the book relevant not only for politeness research but also for any scholar with an interest in language and history. The book is a must-read!’

Dániel Z. Kádár - Chair Professor and International Director of the Center for International Cooperation and Disciplinary Innovation (‘111 Center’), Dalian University of Foreign Languages

‘By examining a Late Egyptian data set of just seventy letters through the prism of recent theoretical and methodological advances in (im)politeness studies, this book offers a compelling exploration of the challenges posed by vast cultural and temporal distance, and of the strategies through which they may be bridged. As a scholar of the modern era, I was struck by the enduring relevance of topics such as discernment and power, emotive language, third-party politeness, and communication with the divine, all of which open up new perspectives for the field of historical pragmatics.’

Annick Paternoster - Lecturer, University of Lugano