Question about usage of names and social convention

[Rutsala, Kirsten M.]

The textbook seems to mean the former:  Russians often use the name of the person they are addressing directly, more frequently than speakers of English do.  In my entirely unscientific observation, that is an accurate statement.  

As for referring to a person as "he" or "she" in his or her presence, that is considered rude in English as well as Russian (though I would say the convention is relaxing somewhat among English speakers).  There is a wonderful English expression, usually directed at a child who has referred to someone by a pronoun rather than by name:  "Who's she?  The cat's mother?"

Kirsten Rutsala
Assistant Professor of Russian
Department of Modern Languages
University of Oklahoma  
________________________________________
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Nola [oothappam at EARTHLINK.NET]
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 6:28 PM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: [SEELANGS] Question about usage of names and social convention

A book I am using says: "Unlike in English, it is customary in Russian to address an interlocutor by name on a regular basis in normal or formal conversation."
Does it mean when you are talking to somebody, during the conversation you use their name a lot, such as :Yes, Paul, I agree. Paul, have you got any idea what we are talking about here? Paul, that's splendid.  -?
OR does it mean...whe there is a conversation with more than 2 people participating, then when one refers to the one he is not addressing, instead of saying "he", he will be named by name--

for example: John,Paul, George and Ringo are all sitting at a table having fish and chips and talking together . John says to Ringo about  George:  "He always puts the salt shaker over there where I can't reach it, the crazy bloke" , but Russians would go ahead and say "George always puts the salt shaker over there where I can't reach it"..even  though George is sitting right there and everybody would know who "he" refers to.
Is that  what it means?


-Nola











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