Dissertation (MA Linguistics)This study has investigated the verbal politeness and impoliteness in medical practitioners-patients communication in Swahili language. The study has applied qualitative approach based on descriptive analysis. Data were collected through non-participatory observation. It involved preliminary survey. Politeness and impoliteness have been studied as dichotomous aspects in medical practitioners-patients communication. Politeness is referred to how face-work attempts to establish, maintain and save face in communication (Brown and Levinson, 1987). Impoliteness is defined as communicative strategies designed to attack face, and thereby cause social conflict and disharmony (Culpeper, 2011). The verbal politeness and impoliteness strategies have been found to be applied by both medical practitioners and patients. It was revealed that the politeness existed through the following strategies; cooperation strategy, showing sympathy, concerned, seeking agreement and avoiding disagreement, intensifying interest to the addressee, euphemism, promise and asking for clarification. Impoliteness has been revealed through seeking disagreement, disassociate from the others, unconcerned and inappropriate joke. The above strategies were interpreted as polite and impolite through cooperative principle, relevance, using background knowledge, context and others.