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I think it was developed with the rise of the feudal class (nobility), where some people were higher and more important than the others and it was backed by the courtly customs. However I think it must be described in books on sociolinguistics and historical linguistics.<br><br>Hayim Y. Sheynin <br><br><b><i>billposer@alum.mit.edu</i></b> wrote:<blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"> <!-- Network content --> <div id="ygrp-text"> <div>The other aspect of the tu/usted distinction about which I am<br> curious, and which I don't think anyone has touched on, is how<br> it arose in the first place. Neither Latin nor (ancient) Greek<br> had such a
distinction (that is, it was just a singular/plural<br> distinction, without any connotations of intimacy or power), nor<br> is there any reason to think that there was such a distinction<br> in early Germanic, Baltic, or Slavic. Somehow the majority of<br> European languages developed this kind of distinction in the<br> Middle Ages. Why?<br> <br> Bill<br> </div> </div> <!--End group email --> </blockquote><br><p>
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