DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Even Greener Pastures
HTML https://evengreener.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Questions about the Use of Language
*****************************************************
#Post#: 16189--------------------------------------------------
T-V Distinction in Different Languages - SPLIT FROM Question del
eted
By: Nikola Date: May 26, 2019, 2:54 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The formal/informal use of pronouns in Czech doesn't date very
far back. Old Czech didn't have it. English, on the other hand,
used to have it and you was originally the formal expression
because you - plural was used long before you - singular. Its
nominative form was ye, as opposed to thou (informal you -
nominative). The form "you" was used as an object in a sentence.
HTML https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/9780/did-english-ever-have-a-formal-version-of-you
#Post#: 16199--------------------------------------------------
Re: T-V Distinction in Different Languages - SPLIT FROM Question
deleted
By: SHL Date: May 26, 2019, 5:45 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Nikola link=topic=1077.msg16189#msg16189
date=1558900473]
The formal/informal use of pronouns in Czech doesn't date very
far back. Old Czech didn't have it. English, on the other hand,
used to have it and you was originally the formal expression
because you - plural was used long before you - singular. Its
nominative form was ye, as opposed to thou (informal you -
nominative). The form "you" was used as an object in a sentence.
HTML https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/9780/did-english-ever-have-a-formal-version-of-you
[/quote]
I‘m not familiar with the differences in thou, thee and ye,
since they are archaic. Your discussion of the school
discussions, exchanges between young students and teachers was
interesting.
While I‘m not entirely sure if this always applies in German
schools, it probably does. With very young children they
probably address the teacher as Herr/Frau xyz + formal you
(Sie). Teacher replies with child‘s first name and informal you
(du).
I know growing up in the States, it was, for young children,
unheard of to address a teacher by first name (I don‘t think we
were ever even told what the teacher‘s first name was, but we
found it out eventually), and we were always addressed by first
name. As a young kid, we used to laugh amongst ourselves about
how funny it would be to walk into the class one day and call
the teacher by first name- how rude!
But, in the 1960s, we didn‘t have to worry about the Mrs./Ms.
distinction, because that was before the Ms. label came around,
which didn‘t occur until the women‘s movement of the 70s hit. So
all women, married or not, were just Mrs.
#Post#: 16206--------------------------------------------------
Re: T-V Distinction in Different Languages - SPLIT FROM Question
deleted
By: MartinSR Date: May 27, 2019, 7:27 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Nikola link=topic=1077.msg16189#msg16189
date=1558900473]
you was originally the formal expression because you - plural
was used long before you - singular
[/quote]
I've never made any research, but it seems to me that 2nd person
plural is the most common way of addressing people in a polite
formal way. At least among European languages.
Still there are languages which have different rules for
creating polite formal sentences, like using 3rd person singular
(Polish, Italian, Spanish) or plural (German). Has anybody tried
to find out why?
As a remark I'll add that 2nd person plural has been used in
Poland too, during the communist times - but only when talking
to policeman or higher rank party member.
And what about the formal and informal speech in non-European
languages?
Maybe it's off-topic again, so maybe it should be the separate
thread?
Edited: Oh yes. Everything is here obviously:
HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T–V_distinction
#Post#: 16212--------------------------------------------------
Re: T-V Distinction in Different Languages - SPLIT FROM Question
deleted
By: Nikola Date: May 27, 2019, 8:26 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=MartinSR link=topic=1107.msg16206#msg16206
date=1558960030]
And what about the formal and informal speech in non-European
languages?
Maybe it's off-topic again, so maybe it should be the separate
thread?
[/quote]
Done. We can go T-V crazy now.
*****************************************************