Universal #1905
Legacy number: 1905
| Number | 1900 |
| Original | A pronominal form used for showing greater respect or social distance is never eliminated from the system of reference in favour of one for showing less respect or social distance. |
| Standardized | A pronominal form used for showing greater respect or social distance is never eliminated from the system of reference in favour of one for showing less respect or social distance. |
| Keywords | pronoun, personal pronoun, social distance, respect, honorific |
| Domain | inflection, syntax, discourse |
| Type | unconditional |
| Status | diachronic |
| Quality | absolute |
| Basis | more than one hundred languages in Head 1978 |
| Source | Head 1978: 193, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?nentry_id=21"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0"> |
Discussion
Counterexamples
In Hungarian, the very recent trend has been to generalize MAGA, a polite pronoun, even in formal situations and extend the use of ‘thou’ to a wider range of social relations. (Hetzron 1980: 273)[which confirms the universal! ]
Notes
German at some stage(s) had these as pronouns of singular address:du – er/sie/es [literally 3SG] – ihr [lit. 2PL] – Sie [lit. 3PL]Presumably, er/sie/es and ihr were social-distance forms vis-a-vis du; and they were given up, while old close du stayed on.Also, it has been said that in informal modern times socially-distant Sie is yielding to du, too.Are these counterexamples?
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du – er/sie/es [literally 3SG] – ihr [lit. 2PL] – Sie [lit. 3PL]
Presumably, er/sie/es and ihr were social-distance forms vis-a-vis du; and they were given up, while old close du stayed on.
Also, it has been said that in informal modern times socially-distant Sie is yielding to du, too.
Are these counterexamples?