[Lexicog] Re: The irony of thou

[kella_castaneda]

In Malay, any older woman would be addressed as "makcik" (aunt) and 
man "pakcik" (uncle) in informal settings while "puan"/"cik" (mrs./ 
ms.) and "encik" (mr.) is used in a more formal setting unless the 
man or woman has other titles. The speaker would use the same form of 
address during the conversation. No pronouns are used. 

Then there is also the many varieties of pronouns used. "I" can 
be "saya/ aku/ kami/ kita/ teman (which also means friend)/patik (if 
you are subordinate to a royalty)/ beta (if you are the sultan or 
king), etc" and at times the person may use his/ her own name in 
place of a pronoun. "You" can be "awak/ engkau/ kau/ kamu/ anda/ 
etc". I have yet to see a study on the use of "aku/ kau; engkau" 
because at times, it may be like using 'tu' to an older person, which 
can be considered rude, although the older person may use that to a 
younger person. However, in prayers, the same pronouns are used when 
one addresses himself/ herself and God. 

There are also regional, age, culture differences in the use of 
pronouns and forms of address when one speaks Malay. Indonesian being 
very similar to Malay may also have its own pronouns. 

--- In lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com, billposer at ... wrote:
>
> 
> Yes, it would be interesting to do a book on forms of address. You'd
> think that someone would have done this already, but I'm not aware 
of
> such a book, at least not a really comprehensive one.
> 
> One topic in which I have some interest is the extended use of 
kinship
> terms, that is, the use of kinship terms with people who are not 
actually
> related. In some cultures, this is very common, but there is a great
> deal of variation in when it is done and whether it is treated like
> actual kinship. In Korean I have noticed a change between my 
generation
> and the next. Korean girls of my generation addressed unrelated 
boys with
> whom they were fairly well acquainted, such as the sons of friends 
of
> the family and the boys from their own neighborhood, as "elder 
brother".
> This usage extended to their boyfriends. When they married, 
however, they
> ceased to address their husband as "elder brother". Korean women of 
the
> current generation continue to call their boyfriend "elder brother" 
after
> marriage. I noticed this first when watching Korean soap operas and 
t hen
> confirmed it while staying with a former student and her husband.
> 
> In Korea, then, calling someone "brother" does not preclude a sexual
> relationship - it is not incest. In Navajo, one also uses sibling 
terms
> toward close friends. I address a close friend two years older than 
I am
> as shadi "my elder sister" and sign nitsili "thy younger brother".
> If, however, we were to become sexually involved, we would not be 
able to
> use this terminology as it would be considered incest (which is 
perhaps
> the strongest taboo in Navajo society - really, really, bad). 
> 
> Bill
>




 
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