Honorifics

Author:

Brown Lucien

Abstract

Honorifics are linguistic forms that are used prototypically to express regard or esteem toward an entity worthy of respect, most typically a person of superior social standing. The concept is most frequently used in discussions of Japanese and Korean (typically the Standardized versions of these languages spoken in Tokyo and Seoul), which have highly developed systems of honorifics that include grammaticized verbal suffixes. In these languages, speakers need to make an obligatory choice between honorific and nonhonorific verb endings in every single sentence, depending primarily on social status and intimacy. For instance, when addressing a status superior, Japanese speakers will add masu to the end of every verb and Korean speakers will add -yo or -supnita, whereas these forms are omitted when addressing intimates. In languages without this system of verb endings, lexical substitutions can be recruited for marking honorification. In Standard Javanese, there are numerous lexical distinctions between ngoko (“low speech”) and krama (“high speech”). Thai features a number of speech levels including racha sap (“royal language”), which is used for addressing or referring to the royal family. In the Australian Aboriginal language Dyirbal, speakers switch to specific variations of the language known as “mother-in-law language” and “brother-in-law language” whenever so-called “taboo” kin—namely, the mother-in-law or brother-in-law—is in earshot. In English and European languages, honorifics tend to be limited mostly to respectful titles such as “Sir” or “Ma’am” and special second-person pronouns (e.g., in French, vous is the honorific form of tu [“you”]). Linguists recognize several different types of honorifics. “Referent honorifics” index the relationship between the speaker and referents within the sentence (or otherwise the relationship between different referents). Hearer honorifics (also known as “speech levels” or “speech styles”) directly index the relationship between the speaker and the hearer and do not require the hearer to appear as a sentence referent in order to appear. Bystander honorifics index the presence of specific onlookers at the scene of a speech event. These forms are appropriate for speaking in the presence of the bystander in question but are not necessarily appropriate when speaking about or to him/her. In addition to honorifics, languages may also contain humilifics: linguistic forms that humble or abase the speaker (e.g., “your humble servant”).

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Cited by 1 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

1. Chapter 8. Repetitive constructions and stance-marking;Discourse Phenomena in Typological Perspective;2023-03-15

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3