[Lingtyp] Extended uses of terms of address/vocatives

[Christoph Holz]

Dear Andrea,



In Tiang (Oceanic, Papua New Guinea), the noun *kulâu* [ku.law] ‘people’
(inherently plural) is also an interjection of surprise. I have never heard
it as a term of address though.



Best wishes
Christoph

On Tue, 4 Feb 2025 at 20:01, 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
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