T-V distinction
Politeness in address
The T-V distinction is the use of different pronoun forms to mark social relationships—typically one for intimacy or informality (T, from Latin *tu*) and one for respect or distance (V, from Latin *vos*).
French has *tu* and *vous*, German *du* and *Sie*, Spanish *tú* and *usted*.
English lost this distinction when *thou* fell out of use, leaving only *you*.
The choice between forms signals solidarity, hierarchy, or social boundaries: using T with a stranger may be rude or friendly depending on culture and context.
Emotional closeness between people
- familiarityKnowledge through experience
- distanceSpace between two points
- solidarityUnity among allies
- deferenceYielding to another's judgment
respect · hierarchy · status · age difference · in-group · out-group · stranger · acquaintance
Respectful way of speaking
- registerRecord officially; vocal range
- honorificsRespectful name additions
- salutationExpression of goodwill
- titlesNames of creative works
decorum · protocol · etiquette · proper address · social register · code-switching
Study of language variation
- pragmaticsLanguage-in-context study
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- conjugationVerb form variation system
intimacy
Emotional closeness between people
- familiarityKnowledge through experience
- distanceSpace between two points
- solidarityUnity among allies
deference · respect · hierarchy · status · age difference · in-group · out-group · stranger · acquaintance · friend
formal address
Respectful way of speaking
- registerRecord officially; vocal range
- honorificsRespectful name additions
- salutationExpression of goodwill
titles · decorum · protocol · etiquette · proper address · social register · code-switching
sociolinguistics
Study of language variation
- pragmaticsLanguage-in-context study
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- conjugationVerb form variation system
French
Of or from Paris's nation
Japanese · Korean · Russian · Polish · Dutch · Swedish · Victorian · workplace norms · generational shift · egalitarianism
vous
French second-person formal