<div dir="ltr">
<p class="gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span lang="EN-AU">Dear Andrea,<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span lang="EN-AU"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span lang="EN-AU">In Tiang (Oceanic, Papua New Guinea), the noun
<i>kulâu</i> [ku.law] ‘people’ (inherently
plural) is also an interjection of surprise. I have never heard it as a term
of address though.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span lang="EN-AU"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span lang="EN-AU">Best wishes<span></span></span></p>
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:11pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Christoph</span>
</div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, 4 Feb 2025 at 20:01, Andrea Sansò via Lingtyp <<a href="mailto:lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org">lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Dear all,<br><br>My colleague and I are investigating an Italian term of address/vocative that appears to have recently developed new functions. The term in question, <i>raga</i>, is a shortened form of <i>ragazzi/e </i>(meaning "boys/girls" in the plural). While our analysis and interpretation of the data are still preliminary, we have observed that <i>raga </i>is no longer used exclusively in its original function as an attention-getter when addressing multiple interlocutors. Instead, it has acquired various functions in spoken language. Below is a preliminary list of these new functions:<br><br>- Expressing the speaker’s surprise (with both positive and negative nuances)<br>- Intensification/boosting<br>- Marking reported discourse<br><br>These new functions represent significant departures from the term's original, diachronically primary use. For instance, in some cases, <i>raga</i> is directed at a single hearer, contradicting its original plural reference. In others, the term occurs at the right periphery of an utterance, contrasting with its traditional use as a vocative or attention-getter, which is typically confined to the left periphery.<br><br>We are aware of several studies addressing the pragmatic evolution of terms of address in European languages. For example, in a contrastive study on <i>güey</i> in Mexican Spanish and <i>alter</i> in German, Kleinknecht and Sousa (2017: 257) argue that “terms of address have the potential to intensify the affectivity displayed by the speaker. In this capacity, they may be employed as linguistic strategies to enhance the expressive and illocutionary force of utterances.” Furthermore, these expressive uses can serve as the basis for more specific functions related to turn-taking and information management. In Mexican Spanish, for instance, <i>güey</i> can occur in the right periphery to emphasize the preceding segment, as illustrated in the following example (from Kleinknecht & Sousa 2017: 275):<div><br></div><div><img src="cid:ii_m6qugc860" alt="image.png" width="503" height="71"><br><br>While some of the functions we have identified for <i>raga </i>align with common uses of terms of address (e.g., intensification/boosting), others are perhaps less conventional. To situate our research within a typological framework, we would like to ask list members for examples of non-canonical uses of terms of address, particularly from non-European and non-LOL languages. We would especially appreciate examples involving terms with inherently plural reference, such as <i>raga</i>, as well as any references to relevant literature.<br><br>I will be happy to post a summary of the responses if needed. Thank you in advance for your help and insights.<br><br>Best regards,<br>Andrea Sansò</div></div>
_______________________________________________<br>
Lingtyp mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">Lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br>
<a href="https://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp</a><br>
</blockquote></div>