[Lingtyp] Extended uses of terms of address/vocatives

Tue Feb 4 19:25:50 UTC 2025

Dear Andrea,

A phenomenon displaying several of the features you noted (a term of
address with plural meaning and extended functions) can be observed in many
languages, in contemporary slang, especially that of social media,
involving the borrowing, sometimes with high frequency, of English *guys*.  I
have heard this in, among others, varieties of African English, various
Indo-Aryan languages, assorted Philippine languages, and also Malayic
dialects.  For some examples from Malayic dialects see Gil (2024),
reproduced below.

Best,

David

(31)  *Minangkabau*
    Gais lai pernah mancubo makan iko gais?
         *Gais*   lai            pernah   mancubo   makan   iko
*gais*?

         guys   add.foc  exp        ag:try        eat         dem:dem.prox
guys

         'Guys, have you ever tried eating this, guys?'

[https://www.instagram.com/reel/C11JuKNhuex/]

(32)  *Papuan Malay*

         Sabar     *gais*,   ha     mancing    dulu

         patient   guys   1sg   catch.fish   first

         'Wait a bit, I want to do some fishing first.'

         [DGD]

(57)  *Jakarta Indonesian ~ Standard Indonesian*

Hay gaess. Bagaimana gaes,, kalian sudah nonton belum tadi gaes acara
Bincang Tokoh ibu Dr. Hj. Winarti SE. MH. bersama ANTV Lampung???

         Hay *gais*. Bagaimana *gais*, kalian  sudah nonton  belum
tadi
*gais*  acara

         hi     guys  how             guys 2pl      pfv     watch    nondum
pst.prox  guys  program

         Bincang  Tokoh      ibu        Dr. Hj. Winarti  SE. MH.  bersama
ANTV   Lampung

         discuss   character  mother  Dr. Hj. Winarti  SE. MH.  together
ANTV   Lampung

 'Hi guys, what's up guys, have you already watched, guys, the programme
discussing the character of Mrs. Dr. Hj. Winarti SE. MH. on ANTV Lampung?'

[
https://www.tulangbawangkab.go.id/news/read/4044/hay-gaess-bagaimana-gaes-kalian-sudah-nonton-belum-tadi-gaes-acara-bincang-tokoh-ibu-dr-hj-winarti-s
]

(58)  *Standard Indonesian*

Rudal    Tamir   sendiri    adalah   rudal     luncur   otomatis,
atau  "self-propelled",

missile  Tamir   neg.foc cop       missile  launch   automatic  or
self-propelled

yang   berbahan         bakar   padat,  dan     dipandur    radar
yang   merancang,

rel     dpat:material  burn     solid    and     pat:guide   radar  rel
ag:design

untuk  mencegah     target pada jarak   hingga tujuh  puluh   kilometer
*gais*

for      ag:prevent   target obl   range  until     seven ten
kilometer   guys

'The Tamir missile itself is an automatically-launched, or self-propelled,
missile using solid fuel and with a radar designed to defend against
targets up to a range of seventy kilometers guys.'

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Gf32zNzcg: 2:06-2:19]

Gil, David (2024) "Borrowing within Malayic: The Role of Exotericity", in
A. Adelaar, T. Hoogervorst and S. Moeimam eds., Lexical Borrowing in Island
Southeast Asia; History, Impact and Analysis, WACANA, Journal of the
Humanities of Indonesia, 25.3:480-530.

Available (I think ...) at:

*https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1793&context=wacana&fbclid=IwY2xjawIPRG1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbvMebp1dJohe2Yfe2CYXCdcsbXM2oF388B1K8yDGChgM3QkjgPM9tgJ-w_aem_W0nMR116BUrGL9lv-6PbOg
<https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1793&context=wacana&fbclid=IwY2xjawIPRG1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbvMebp1dJohe2Yfe2CYXCdcsbXM2oF388B1K8yDGChgM3QkjgPM9tgJ-w_aem_W0nMR116BUrGL9lv-6PbOg>*

On Wed, Feb 5, 2025 at 2:01 AM Andrea Sansò via Lingtyp <
lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org> wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> My colleague and I are investigating an Italian term of address/vocative
> that appears to have recently developed new functions. The term in
> question, *raga*, is a shortened form of *ragazzi/e *(meaning
> "boys/girls" in the plural). While our analysis and interpretation of the
> data are still preliminary, we have observed that *raga *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:
>
> - Expressing the speaker’s surprise (with both positive and negative
> nuances)
> - Intensification/boosting
> - Marking reported discourse
>
> These new functions represent significant departures from the term's
> original, diachronically primary use. For instance, in some cases, *raga* 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.
>
> We are aware of several studies addressing the pragmatic evolution of
> terms of address in European languages. For example, in a contrastive study
> on *güey* in Mexican Spanish and *alter* 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, *güey* can
> occur in the right periphery to emphasize the preceding segment, as
> illustrated in the following example (from Kleinknecht & Sousa 2017: 275):
>
> [image: image.png]
>
> While some of the functions we have identified for *raga *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 *raga*, as well as any references to
> relevant literature.
>
> I will be happy to post a summary of the responses if needed. Thank you in
> advance for your help and insights.
>
> Best regards,
> Andrea Sansò
> _______________________________________________
> Lingtyp mailing list
> Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
> https://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp
>

-- 

David Gil

Senior Scientist (Associate)
Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, 04103, Germany

Email: dapiiiiit at gmail.com
Mobile Phone (Israel): +972-526117713
Mobile Phone (Indonesia): +62-082113720302
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