Evaluative Language and Digital Courtship: An Appraisal Theory Analysis of Self-Presentation on a Muslim Matchmaking Website

This study explores how Muslim users present themselves on faith-based online dating platforms using evaluative language shaped by Islamic and cultural values. Guided by Appraisal Theory (Martin & White, 2005), the research focuses on how affect, judgment, and appreciation are used in self-descriptions to construct socially acceptable and morally resonant digital identities. A qualitative corpus-based approach was employed, drawing on 100 user bios (50 male, 50 female) from a Malaysian Muslim matchmaking website. AntConc software was used for lexical analysis, while AI-assisted thematic coding, supported by manual validation, helped extract recurring evaluative patterns. Findings reveal that Judgement dominated the discourse of personal traits and moral identity for both genders. Male users emphasised traits like leadership, financial stability, physical activity (bersukan), and health (tidak merokok), while female users highlighted nurturing roles, cooking skills, emotional warmth, and spiritual sincerity. Both genders used Islamic lexical items such as solat, agama, mengaji, and InsyaAllah as markers of piety, sincerity, and readiness for halal courtship. These lexical choices served not only as personal descriptors but also as moral signals embedded in broader religious and gender norms. The findings underscore that self-presentation in Muslim online dating platforms is not purely descriptive but deeply evaluative, shaped by collective expectations around faith, family, and virtue. This study contributes to growing scholarship on digital discourse, identity construction, and language use in culturally regulated online spaces. Future research could compare self-presentation strategies across platforms or examine how users from different cultural or age groups adapt their language to meet varying expectations.