6.1113, Disc: Kinship terms, re: 1104, 1108, 1110

[The Linguist List]

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-1113. Thu Aug 17 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines:  118
 
Subject: 6.1113, Disc: Kinship terms, re: 1104, 1108, 1110
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
 
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Editor for this issue: dseely at emunix.emich.edu (T. Daniel Seely)
 
---------------------------------Directory-----------------------------------
1)
Date:  Wed, 16 Aug 1995 18:33:54 PDT
From:  alderson at netcom.com (Richard M. Alderson III)
Subject:  Re: 6.1108 & 6.1110
 
2)
Date:  Thu, 17 Aug 1995 00:24:46 CDT
From:  pdaniels at press-gopher.uchicago.edu (Peter Daniels)
Subject:  Re:  6.1110, Disc: Kinship Terms, Re: 1100, 1108
 
3)
Date:  Wed, 16 Aug 1995 15:04:15 CST
From:  MLRLM at VM.CC.OLEMISS.EDU (Rebecca Larche Moreton)
Subject:  Re: 6.1108, Disc: Kinship Terms, Re: 1100, 1104
 
4)
Date:  Wed, 16 Aug 1995 16:00:25 EDT
From:  amr at CS.Wayne.EDU (Alexis Manaster Ramer)
Subject:  Re:  6.1108, Disc: Kinship Terms, Re: 1100, 1104
 
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1)
Date:  Wed, 16 Aug 1995 18:33:54 PDT
From:  alderson at netcom.com (Richard M. Alderson III)
Subject:  Re: 6.1108 & 6.1110
 
The question of kinship vocatives needs to take into account regional dialect
as well as sociolect.  Allan Wechsler, for example, comments on the apparent
absence of vocatives for "brother", noting "bub" and "bud" as historical (by
which I assume he means no longer current).  In the dialect area in which I was
born, "Bubba" is alive and well, along with "Sissy" (sometimes spelled "Cissy"
when used as a nickname).
 
Richard Hudson reports a statement by Stavros Macrakis, that "son" is only used
as a vocative by fathers.  Y'all need to come to a family gathering of the
Aldersons and their kin; mothers as well as fathers have no hesitation with the
use of "son" as a vocative.
 
Later, David Silva commented on the use of "boy" among European Portuguese
elder males.  My grandfather is still known to his nieces and nephews, and
their offspring, as "Uncle Boy"--as the only son, neither his parents nor his
four sisters found it necessary to call him by name.
 
Mr. Silva also asked whether "bro" originated within Black English.  To the
best of my knowledge, it did; it seems to have moved into other dialects with a
certain political viewpoint attached, one which it did not lose until its use
on television programmes such as _Beverly Hills 90210_ as a generic term of
affection between male friends.
 
Just muddying the waters further.
 
Rich Alderson
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2)
Date:  Thu, 17 Aug 1995 00:24:46 CDT
From:  pdaniels at press-gopher.uchicago.edu (Peter Daniels)
Subject:  Re:  6.1110, Disc: Kinship Terms, Re: 1100, 1108
 
If BVE is to be included in the discussion of vocatives, then how about
"girl" or "girlfriend"? The latter seems to be used between women of
comparable age (Black women calling a White talk radio host woman can
use it, and she can even return it, though sounding a bit uncomfortable);
"girl" seems to be quite like "son", used from elder to younger. Does this
seem (a) observationally adequate and (b) relevant?
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3)
Date:  Wed, 16 Aug 1995 15:04:15 CST
From:  MLRLM at VM.CC.OLEMISS.EDU (Rebecca Larche Moreton)
Subject:  Re: 6.1108, Disc: Kinship Terms, Re: 1100, 1104
 
In Southern American Englishes, the nuclear-family vocative set goes:
 
                    (1) Mamma
                    (2) Daddy
                    (3) Sis/Titta
                    (4) Buddy/Bubba
 
Evidently some of the full forms didn't make it North of the grits-line.
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4)
Date:  Wed, 16 Aug 1995 16:00:25 EDT
From:  amr at CS.Wayne.EDU (Alexis Manaster Ramer)
Subject:  Re:  6.1108, Disc: Kinship Terms, Re: 1100, 1104
 
There are clearly two different classes of expressions, used
in different though overlapping sets of contexts.  The best
diagnostic may well whether you can use a given kin term
with a note of exasperation (I am no good on describing
intonation, but one phonetic feature ofthis is the lengthening
of the last vowel of the word).
This class includes mother, mom, father, dad, but excludes
son, bro.  All first names are in the first class.  While
the fact about son and bro being used for bonding unlike
daughter may mean something about our culture, it is still
the case, as I pointed out to  begin with, that son does NOT
belong to the same class of expressions as the terms for
senior relatives.
D
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