[Lexicog] Re: The irony of thou

[Hayim Sheynin]

In Russian the use of diadia (uncle), tiotia (aunt), and rarer otets (father) and synok (little son) in addresses to unrelated people, which was previously widespread among large population, now is restricted to villagers. At that, the first 
three are addresses of younger people to older ones, and the last one is that of the older person to a younger one. In addition, the addresses  like bratishka  (little brother) and sestrichka  (little sister)  are  used  to more or less  equal (=comparable) person by age.

I do not mention addresses in formal setting because it proved to be a passing  and changing fashion: one situation before 1917, another 1917-1928, still another
1929-1941, 1945-, etc. Every political change reflects in a change of a formal address. The most famous change in 1917 from gospodin/gospozha/baryshnia (Mr./Mrs/Ms) to tovarisch/comrade. There was used also undiscriminate address grazhdanin (citizen) which in Russian doesn't mean "an inhabitant of a city", but "a person who is a subject to the government of a country, usually by birth."  The peculiar use of dichotonomy  tovarisch (comrad) and  grazhdanin (citizen) was exploited by Soviet authorities when they drew a boundary between free people and inmates of Soviet jails and labor camps. The inmates of jails and camps were not allowed to address  their  wardens and guards by an usual address tovarisch, but only  grazhdanin  (to stress the  situation that although they are subjects to the same  government, the inmates are enemies of the regular population inside  the same  state). 

Hayim Y. Sheynin

kella_castaneda <acastaneda at ccc.edu> wrote:                                  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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