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Solidarity and Politeness

Many languages have distinctions between familiar and polite forms of address, such as the tu and vous forms in French. Historically, the tu form was singular and vous was plural, but over time vous came to be used between upper class individuals to show respect and politeness. This led to asymmetrical usages where high status individuals received the polite vous form from lower status individuals. Symmetrical usage of vous became the polite norm, though tu remained as a familiar form between close individuals. Linguistic politeness involves understanding how language operates in different social contexts to show solidarity or maintain appropriate social distance.

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79 views

Solidarity and Politeness

Many languages have distinctions between familiar and polite forms of address, such as the tu and vous forms in French. Historically, the tu form was singular and vous was plural, but over time vous came to be used between upper class individuals to show respect and politeness. This led to asymmetrical usages where high status individuals received the polite vous form from lower status individuals. Symmetrical usage of vous became the polite norm, though tu remained as a familiar form between close individuals. Linguistic politeness involves understanding how language operates in different social contexts to show solidarity or maintain appropriate social distance.

Uploaded by

Fira Amanda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SOLIDARITY AND

POLITENESS
Arranged by:
Fira Amanda
How we say something is at least as
When we speak, we must constantly important as what we say; in fact, the content
and the form are quite inseperable, being but
make choice of many different kinds: two facets of the same object. One way of
• What we want to say looking at this relationship is to examine a
few specific aspects of communication:
• How we want to say it namely, pronominal choice between tu and
• The spesific sentence types vous forms in language that require a
choice; the use of naming and address
• Words terms; and the employment of politeness
• Sounds that the best unite the what with the how markers.
TU AND VOUS

Many languages have distinction corresponding to the tu-vous (T/V)


distinction in French, where grammatically there is ‘singular you’ tu (T)
and a ‘plural you’ vous (V) but usage requires that you use vous with
individuals on certains occasion. The T form is sometimes described as
the ‘familiar’ form and the V form as the ‘polite’ one.

According to Brown and Gilman (1960), the T/V distinction began as a


genuine difference between singular and plural.
TU AND VOUS
The consequence of this usage was that by medieval times the upper This latter asymmetrical T/V usage therefore came to

classes apparently began to use V forms with each other to show mutual symbolize a power relationship.

respect and politeness. it was extended to such situation as :

However T forms persisted, so that the upper classes used mutual V, the  People to animals

lower classes used mutual T, and the upper classes adddresed the lower  Master to mistress to servants

classes with T but received V.  officer to soldier

With, in each case, the first mentioned giving but

receiving V. Symmetricl V usage became ‘polite’

usage T.
TU AND VOUS

Symmetrical V usage became ‘polite’ Symmetrical T usage was always available to


usage. This polite usage spread show intimacy, and its use for that purpose
downward in society., but not all the also spreadto situations in which two people
agreed they had stromg common interest, i.e.,
way down, so that in certain classes, a feeling of solidarity gradually came to
but never lowest it became expected replace to mutual V of politeness, since
between husband and wife, parents solidarity is often more important than
and children, and lovers. politeness in personal relationship.
POLITENESS
pOLITENES

In general sense: taking account of sense: feelings of others,


making others feel comfortable.

Linguistically: speaking appropriately to the relationship


between speaker and hearer. Linguistic politeness requires
understanding how language works in variety of social
contexts
Positive and Negative Politeness

Negative politeness: power,


Positive politeness: status and politeness:
solidarity oriented, distance oriented, pays
politeness: oriented, people respect and avoids
emphasizes shared attitudes intruding on them (does not
and values equal lack of politeness or
rudeness)
Example

Paul is in his friend’s house with a


group of people of his age, and
he is saying these things:
‘Go and get me that plate.’
‘Shut up.’

A
Example

Paul is in his parents’ house with a


group of adults (of
parents’ age) and he is saying:
“Could you pass me that plate, if
you don’t mind?”
“I’m sorry I don’t mean to
interrupt, but I can’t hear the
speaker in front of the room.”

B
Thanks!
Arranged by:
Fira Amanda

CREDITS: This presentation template


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by Flaticon, and infographics & images
by Freepik.

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