The Diachrony of Pronouns of Address in 20th-century European Portuguese

Abstract

Abstract The system of pronouns of address in Portuguese is known for its complexity. Although many investigations (mainly case studies) on Brazilian Portuguese have been carried out to this respect, there is lack of in-depth studies about the European variety. In this article, we aim to provide the history of the system of pronouns of address in European Portuguese throughout the 20th century, by analyzing dialect data pertaining to three sociolinguistic corpora. The results highlight that the 20th century meant a time with profound changes in Portugal’s society, since it represents a stage in which European Portuguese established a new paradigm that favoured standard responses and pragmatic solidarity. However, this variety is still inclined to pragmatic distance, for the data reveal that it has also come up with new strategies to maintain deference as the unmarked politeness strategy.