In languages in which categories of proximity, inclusiveness and definiteness are employed to convey social meaning, non-proximate, exclusive, and indefinite or impersonal usually indicate greater respect or social distance than do the opposing ones; inanimate and non-human typically indicate less respect than do their counterparts, when used with social meaning.
Standardized
In languages in which categories of proximity, inclusiveness and definiteness are employed to convey social meaning, non-proximate, exclusive, and indefinite or impersonal usually indicate greater respect or social distance than do the opposing ones; inanimate and non-human typically indicate less respect than do their counterparts, when used with social meaning.
Keywords
proximity, inclusiveness, definiteness, social distance, respect
The category of number is a possible, though not likely, exception to this assertion, since it is conceivably employed more widely in reference to the speaker than in address. (Head 1978: 194)
