A literature review of address studies from pragmatic and sociolinguistic perspectives
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Thoai Nu-Linh Ton
Abstract
Terms of address and reference1 have garnered enormous interest in the research literature, ranging from sociolinguistics and ethnolinguistics to language learning and anthropology. From a sociolinguistic perspective, address terms can be considered as the starting point to the understanding of human relationships, and how such relationships can be socially and strategically constructed (Fitch 1991; Leech 1999; Morford 1997). Terms of address and reference have therefore been well recognized as a particularly fruitful field for sociolinguistic research, in three phases: from the mid-1950s to the 1970s; through the 1980s and 1990s; and from the early 2000s to the present day. The studies conducted during these three periods have made significant contributions to the understanding of different social features of address systems, such as how they convey solidarity, politeness, and politic behavior (Brown & Ford 1961, 1964; Brown & Gilman 1960; Brown & Levinson 1978; Watts 1989) as well as pragmatic connotations such as emotion, attitude, intimacy and distance. This chapter is an attempt to provide an integrated survey of the field of address research with an eye on cross-cutting themes characterising these three periods. A special focus is placed on (a) the use of address terms to reflect social relationships, power, solidarity, and politeness, (b) address expressing personal feelings such as emotion/attitude and distance versus intimacy, and (c) the translation of these terms.
Abstract
Terms of address and reference1 have garnered enormous interest in the research literature, ranging from sociolinguistics and ethnolinguistics to language learning and anthropology. From a sociolinguistic perspective, address terms can be considered as the starting point to the understanding of human relationships, and how such relationships can be socially and strategically constructed (Fitch 1991; Leech 1999; Morford 1997). Terms of address and reference have therefore been well recognized as a particularly fruitful field for sociolinguistic research, in three phases: from the mid-1950s to the 1970s; through the 1980s and 1990s; and from the early 2000s to the present day. The studies conducted during these three periods have made significant contributions to the understanding of different social features of address systems, such as how they convey solidarity, politeness, and politic behavior (Brown & Ford 1961, 1964; Brown & Gilman 1960; Brown & Levinson 1978; Watts 1989) as well as pragmatic connotations such as emotion, attitude, intimacy and distance. This chapter is an attempt to provide an integrated survey of the field of address research with an eye on cross-cutting themes characterising these three periods. A special focus is placed on (a) the use of address terms to reflect social relationships, power, solidarity, and politeness, (b) address expressing personal feelings such as emotion/attitude and distance versus intimacy, and (c) the translation of these terms.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Address and address research 1
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Looking backwards, looking forwards
- A literature review of address studies from pragmatic and sociolinguistic perspectives 23
- On translating pronominal and nominal terms of address 47
- Examining Twitter as a source for address research using Colombian Spanish 75
- Imaginary customers and public figures 99
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Variation and change
- Now you Sie me, now you don’t 125
- On address pronouns in the history of Brazilian Portuguese 139
- Palenquero Creole 161
- Variation in polite address in contemporary Uruguayan Spanish 191
- Transition from V to T address among restaurant customers and waiters in Italy 221
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Reflections of address in digital and visual media
- Address negotiations in Dutch emails 253
- The variable functions of addressing hearer-participants with Spanish second person object forms in media discourse 281
- Pragmatic and grammatical categories for the analysis of forms of address in presidential election debates 305
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Nominal address
- Nominal address strategies in Cameroon French 335
- Brocatives 355
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Address, the self, and the other
- Introductions at international academic conferences 375
- Person-referring expressions, reference nominals, and address nominals 397
- Terms of address and self-reference in Ulaanbaatar Mongolian 415
- Index 435
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Address and address research 1
-
Looking backwards, looking forwards
- A literature review of address studies from pragmatic and sociolinguistic perspectives 23
- On translating pronominal and nominal terms of address 47
- Examining Twitter as a source for address research using Colombian Spanish 75
- Imaginary customers and public figures 99
-
Variation and change
- Now you Sie me, now you don’t 125
- On address pronouns in the history of Brazilian Portuguese 139
- Palenquero Creole 161
- Variation in polite address in contemporary Uruguayan Spanish 191
- Transition from V to T address among restaurant customers and waiters in Italy 221
-
Reflections of address in digital and visual media
- Address negotiations in Dutch emails 253
- The variable functions of addressing hearer-participants with Spanish second person object forms in media discourse 281
- Pragmatic and grammatical categories for the analysis of forms of address in presidential election debates 305
-
Nominal address
- Nominal address strategies in Cameroon French 335
- Brocatives 355
-
Address, the self, and the other
- Introductions at international academic conferences 375
- Person-referring expressions, reference nominals, and address nominals 397
- Terms of address and self-reference in Ulaanbaatar Mongolian 415
- Index 435
