1 Strategies of polite address in Uruguayan Spanish: Is tú the new usted?María Irene Moyna Texas A & M University INAR 4 Helsinki, June 8-9, 2017

2 Introduction

3 Usted in Uruguayan SpanishUSp has a three-way distinction in second person pronouns and verbs: V (polite, formal): usted T1 (polite, informal): tú T2 (familiar, informal): vos

4 Usted in Uruguayan SpanishUsted has received limited attention (Behares 1981, Bertolotti 2011, Elizaincín & Díaz 1981, Ricci & Malán de Ricci 1977): not very different from other varieties of Spanish formally stable, no mixing/hybridization losing ground to informal address (Molina 2010, Behares 1981)

5 Origin and evolution of ustedUsted is a Hispano Romance creation, a deferential abstract nominal developed in the 14th century following Latin models to replace vos (Koch 2008, Moreno 2002): Vuestra merced ‘your mercy’ > usted Over time: It expanded pragmatically: King > courtiers > church and lesser nobility > all social classes It underwent phonetic and grammatical changes: Vuestra merced (Noun phrase) > vuessa merced …. > vosted > usted (pronoun)

6 Usted in Río de la Plata SpanishData from the Buenos Aires (16th- 19th c.) show decreasing deference in address within the family (Fontanella de Weinberg 1993): Earliest period: VM/usted preferred in most symmetric relations and used exclusively in asymmetric relations By 19th century: VM/usted was preferred only to address the +power pole Montevideo data: Historical evolution is similar but slower and harder to document (Elizaincín et al. 1997) Over the course of the 20th century usted: Was lost in urban families, followed by rural families, and unacquainted young people Was retained in white collar workplaces and in asymmetrical relationships on factory shop floors

7 Usted in Uruguayan SpanishThose studies had several limitations: based on anecdotal information and intuitions (Ricci & Malán de Ricci 1977) Lack sociolinguistic variables of interest such as class, age, gender of respondent almost 40 years old (Behares 1981, Elizaincín & Díaz 1981)

8 Moyna (2015) A survey-based quantitative study meant to update the picture on polite address. Sociolinguistic section: Age, gender, provenance, socio-educational class Usage section with 34 questions based on hypothetical situations: 6 of those involved power or social distance: Workplace: male boss, female supervisor Service encounters: school principal, doctor Home/neighborhood: house cleaner, old man 579 participants (367 from Montevideo); three age groups (18-30, 31-50, 51+); M/F

9 Moyna (2015) Most important findings:Frequency of usted decreased uniformly for all regions in the following order: Old man > principal, doctor > cleaner > male supervisor > female supervisor In Montevideo there was more variability, evidence of greater social complexity and uncertainty Women used more usted than men in professional contexts, and less in domestic contexts (different levels of social comfort) Informality increased over generations, with the youngest group more likely to choose informal address with some addressees

10 Moyna (2015) Unexpectedly, respondents provided many metalinguistic comments about formality/informality, in particular the following: Variability of choice dependent on personal relationship rather than relative status Evolution of relationships over time and address choice Social anxiety due to the pull of conflicting forces (respect vs. friendliness) leads to address avoidance Qualitative research questions: To what extent are speakers aware of contextual, sociopragmatic, generational, or dialectal factors determining the use of formal address (i.e., usted)? What attitudes do they have towards addressing and being addressed with usted? If usted use is receding, do speakers abandon politeness distinctions? If not, what do they use instead?

11 Methodology

12 Interviews Questions about pronominal, verbal, and appellative address: Reported usage in different domains (family, school, work) Appropriate social contexts of use Attitudes on appropriate address use Awareness of differences in address use within Uruguay and between dialectal regions Acquisition of address forms Use of forms of address in the media and with public personalities Special pragmatic motivation for shits to usted. Structure of interviews: One-on-one; open-ended and free 20 minutes to 1 hour July-August 2012 Processing of recorded data: Recorded in Marantz PDM 620 Transcribed by a transcription service (CaptionSync)

13 Interviews Questions about pronominal, verbal, and appellative address: Reported usage in different domains (family, school, work) Appropriate social contexts of use Attitudes on appropriate address use Awareness of differences in address use within Uruguay and between dialectal regions Acquisition of address forms Use of forms of address in the media and with public personalities Special pragmatic motivation for shits to usted Structure of interviews: One-on-one; open-ended and free 20 minutes to 1 hour July-August 2012 Processing of recorded data: Recorded in Marantz PDM 620 Transcribed by a transcription service (CaptionSync)

14 Participants For this study, I’ve only analyzed data from 12 respondents (out of 47), all of them from Montevideo: Gender: Men: 5 Women: 7 Age: 18-30: 4 (2F, 2M 31-50: 4 (3F, 1M) 51+: 4 (2F, 2M)

15 Data Analysis Qualitative analysis done with the help of Atlas.ti:Qualitative analysis software which allows for: Search of specific words or strings Identification of pertinent quotations Linking of quotations with inductive classification categories Analysis: Tagging of the 12 transcripts Summary of: General trends Differences between male and female respondents Differences between age groups

16 Results

17 Domains of usted use The following themes emerged from the analysis regarding the use of usted by domain: Very infrequent in the family domain Disappearing fast in the school domain Receding in the work domain and service encounters, unless marking social distance is part of the ‘job description’

18 Family domain The vast majority of speakers denied using usted at all in family interactions (1), regardless of generational differences, and often emphasized that this wasn’t a sign of disrespect (2). A few of the older speakers remembered using or hearing usted among grandparents, especially (3).

19 Family domain Más bien con mis hijos, y mi esposo, ponele, Y con la familia más allegada a mí. (Sonia, F2) ‘[I use informal address] Typically, with my children and my husband, for example. And with my nearest family members’ 2. Siempre mi madre me incentivó a tratar de respetar a las personas mayores, o lo que sea; pero en mi familia, nunca pasó que a mi abuelo le tengamos que decir usted […] (Cecilia Suárez, F1) ‘My mother always encouraged us to be respectful to older people, or whatever; but inside the family, I never had to address my grandfather with usted.’ 3. Mis abuelos usaban el usted [...] mi abuela por parte de mamá, a su yerno le decía usted.’ (Roberto, M2) ‘My grandparents used usted [...] my maternal grandmother used usted to address her son-in-law.’

20 School domain In the school domain, there were differences between the experiences of older and younger respondents. For example, in elementary school: Older respondents reported that pupils were addressed informally (with tú), while teachers were addressed formally and by their title Maestra (4) Younger respondents reported that pupils were addressed informally (with tú or vos), and reciprocated in kind (5) Variability is present for different reasons: Age of the teacher (6) Size and type of school, with more conservative usage attributed to religious schools

21 School domain 4. Las maestras no se dirigían a mí tratándome de vos, tampoco de usted. […] Es decir, utilizaban justamente el tuteo. (Elia, F3) ‘Teachers didn’t address me using vos, or usted either [....] That is, they used tú, precisely.’ 5. En la escuela, nosotros siempre a los profesores les decíamos por el nombre. Ni siquiera era señorita o maestra tanto. Nada, nosotros era, no sé, Ana. [...] Sí, informalmente, No tengo recuerdo de tener que decirle [usted].’ (Cecilia S, F1) ‘In school we always addressed teachers by their first names. Not even Miss or Teacher, nothing. For us it was ‘Ana’ [....] Yes, informally. I have no recollection of having to use [usted].’ 6. Y, según la maestra, porque a veces las maestras jóvenes te trataban de tú y las maestras de más edad te trataban de usted. (Sonia, F2) ‘Well, it depends on the teacher, because sometimes the young teachers called us tú and the older ones used usted.’

22 Work domain Most interviewees reported their workplace as a domain for informal address (7). Exceptions: If the job itself is perceived as requiring some degree of servility(e.g., building receptionist) (8) If the situation involved not just workmates but outsiders (9)

23 Work domain 7. […] Y yo a mi personal los tuteaba; nos tuteábamos todos, ¿viste? (Dora, F3) ‘I used to use tuteo with my entire staff; we all used tuteo with each other, you see.’ 8. Estoy ahora, por ejemplo, trabajando en un edificio de portero y allí viste, allí tenés que dirigir buenas noches, señor, qué tal, cómo le va, no entrar en diálogo. […] Ya ahí es respecto, con categoría. (Antonio, M3) ‘For example, now I am working as a building superintendent, and there, you see, there you must use “Good evening, sir, hello, how are you doing?” You’re not supposed to chit chat. [...] There you must be respectful, classy.’ 9. O sea, cuando ella está con gente en el escritorio y yo le golpeo la puerta, ella me da permiso para entrar y yo le digo, le pregunto: ¿usted precisa algo? [Pero ¿si no hay gente?] No, le digo tú. (Sonia, F2) ‘That is, when she is seeing people in her office, and I knock at the door and she let’s me in, I will ask her, Do youU need anything? [And if there’s nobody?] No, in that case I use tú.’

24 Appropriate contexts of useUsted was linked more frequently with social distance: Age differences (especially when combined with gender differences) (10, 11) Large gaps in social class (12) Other factors were mentioned less frequently and appear more ambiguous: Respect (13)

25 Appropriate contexts of use10. Con gente adulta, adulta me refiere que de tercera edad, que no conozco, seguramente que “usted.” (Cecilia B, F1) ‘With adults, by adults I mean senior citizens, whom I don’t know, in that case certainly usted.’ 11. El usted lo puedo usar de repente para una señora mayor. (Roberto, M2) ‘I use usted maybe with an older lady.’ 12. A mí que me digan señora… Pero es porque la gente que me lo está diciendo es de un nivel socioeconómico mucho más bajo que yo. Una persona de mi mismo nivel socioeconómico nunca me diría señora. (Cecilia S, F1) ‘When they call me madam... It’s because the people who are saying it are of a much lower social class than mine. A person of my own social class would never call me madam.’ 13. [Un policía joven] pero está con la vestimenta del uniforme. No, ahí sí yo, qué sé yo, respetando su uniforme, su investidura, yo lo trataría de usted. (Marta, F2) ‘[A young policeman] but he’s wearing his uniform. No, in that case, I don’t know, I respect his uniform, his investiture, I would use usted.’

26 Appropriate contexts of useCross-generational differences: Older speakers were more likely to mention increased familiarity over time to drop usted (14) Younger speakers often were at a loss to describe situations where usted was mandatory (15)

27 Appropriate contexts of use14. Ahora, por ejemplo, el grupo de maestros nuevos que vinieron ya más o menos va a haber un poco de distancia. Qué tal, cómo anda, nos dirigimos de distinta manera. (Antonio, M3) ‘Now, for example, with the group of new teachers who’ve come, there will be somewhat of a distance. Hello, how are youU? We talk to them differently.’ 15. De acuerdo a mi historia personal con la palabra usted, que la he escuchado tan pocas veces que... Sí, no, la uso como chiste, en realidad, como una forma de ironización de la palabra (Andrés, M1) ‘Because of my personal history, I have heard the word usted so seldom that.... Yes, no, I would only use it as a joke, really, with irony.’

28 Changes over time The older generation was acutely aware of changes over time in the range of usted use: They all noted a relaxing of the rules of use among the young (16) Some referred explicitly to the dictatorial regime as a time of rigid social interactions (17) Attitudes towards this change weren’t clear cut: Most thought address forms per se weren’t a problem: informality and respect can coexist (18) Some of the older interviewees expressed reluctance to use what they considered excessively informal address (19)

29 Changes over time 16. […] Antiguamente vos ibas a una tienda o a un local: ¿señora necesita algo? ¿necesitás algo? No te dicen más señora o joven, como que se fue perdiendo. (Marta, F2) ‘In the past, you would go to a store or the mall: Madam, do youU needU anything? [Now it’s] Do youV needV anything? They no longer say madam or miss, it’s been lost.’ 17. Yo hice liceo y la Universidad en la dictadura, en la dictadura era muy común el usted, como salvando la distancia con los alumnos. (Roberto, F2) ‘I went to high school and university during the dictatorship, and then it was common [for teachers] to use usted, as if they were creating a distance from students.’ 18. [Los niños] me tratan de Antonio, nada más. Antonio para todos lados. […] Sí, Antonio, vení te precisa tal maestro [¿Te gusta?] Me encanta. (Antonio, F3) ‘[The children] call me Antonio, that’s it. Antonio everywhere. [...] Yes, “Antonio, comeV the teacher needs youV. [Do you like it?] I love it.’ 19. Cuando ya entré al año a trabajar como docente, ella me pidió que la tuteara. Y a mí no me salía. Y un día me dijo “si tú no me tuteás, yo no te voy a hablar.” Entonces me forzó, porque yo le hablaba y ella no me contestaba. “ (Dora, F3) ‘The following year, when I started working as a teacher, she asked me to use tú with her. And I just couldn’t do it. One day she told me: “If you don’t use tú, I won’t talk to you anymore.” So she forced me, because I would talk to her and she wouldn’t answer.’

30 Awareness of dialectal differencesDialectal differences within Uruguay: There were some comments about differences in use of usted across the country (20) Dialects perceived as having more usted were often described as ‘more respectful’ Dialectal differences with other national varieties: Few answers referred to usted because most people had little experience with other dialects Several had come in contact with dialects that they found more (21) or less (22) formal than USp.

31 Awareness of dialectal differencesPor ejemplo, a mí mi marido, no todo de usted. Usted, padre, Usted esto… (Sonia, F2) ‘For example, my husband uses usted all the time. Usted, father, usted this, usted that.’ Lo que he vi.. conocido en, por ejemplo, gente venezolana, ahora que te cuento, los que, los, gente más joven me dice “usted”. (Roberto M, M2) ‘What I’ve seen, what I’m familiar with, for example, in Venezuela, now that you ask, younger people there call me usted. [En España] no había, no sé, no había muchas distinciones. Nunca percibí un trato así formal extremo. (Cecilia B, F1) ‘[In Spain] there weren’t, I don’t know, there weren’t too many distinctions. I never felt that anyone there was extremely formal.’

32 Politeness without ustedThe receding role of usted as the prescribed polite address form among younger speakers has created a pragmatic void cross-dialectally (Molina 2010). Alternatives in USp.: Drop formal/informal distinctions altogether Co-opt one of the two informal pronouns as the new polite form Develop alternative strategies

33 Politeness without ustedThe receding role of usted as the prescribed polite address form among younger speakers has created a pragmatic void cross-dialectally (Molina 2010). Alternatives in USp.: Drop formal/informal distinctions altogether Co-opt one of the two informal pronouns as the new polite form Develop alternative strategies

34 Tú as the new polite formSeveral informants (often women) suggested that tú could be deployed as an intermediate polite form. For the older speakers, tú appeared as distancing strategy (less close than vos) For the younger ones, it was often a more informal alternative (less distant than usted). Sí, en el trato con los niños: tú o... No, nunca los trato de vos o che, no. No, no, porque no son ni mis hijos ni algo muy allegado a mí. (Sonia, F2) ‘Yes, when I address the children: tú or...no, I never address them as vos or che, no. No, because they are not my children or close to me.’ 24. Si es una persona mayor, le digo tú porque no me gusta mucho … A veces prefiero tutear que tratar de usted; depende de la persona, pero... Entonces, y sí, le digo tú, nunca le diría vos. (Cecilia S, F1) ‘If it’s a senior person, I use tú, because I don’t like very much… sometimes I prefer to use tú than usted; it depends on the person, but... Then, yes, I use tú. I would never address them with vos. 25. Capaz que… alguien que no conozco mucho, pero tengo la suficiente confianza como para tratarlo de tú. [Uhum.] y no de usted, pero capaz que es alguien joven [...] (Cecilia B, F1) ‘Maybe... Someone I don’t know very well, but that I am close enough to that I can use tú. [Uhum.] and not usted, but maybe it’s someone young.

35 Alternative strategiesSeveral interviewees expressed some social anxiety with the use of address, and described possible avoidance strategies (26) A frequent additional strategy was being a follower, rather than a leader, in address choice (27).

36 Alternative strategies26. Diría “¿Sabe usted si vino, o sabés, o tú sabés of vos sabés? Yo diría: “¿El ómnibus pasó?” (Risas} Algo así. Trato de evitarlo siempre. (Marcelo, M1) ‘I would say “Do youU know if the bus came, or do youV knowV, or youT knowV? I would say “Did the bus come?” (Laughter.) Something like that. I try to avoid it at all costs. 27. La distancia la marca en ese caso la otra persona. Ya ahí, si me ve, me trata de usted ya sigo de usted. Si es un médico, me trata de usted yo sigo de usted, y si me trata de vos un médico, como que (risa) no me animo al usted pero como que ando ahí. (Marcelo, M1) ‘Distance in that case is marked by the other speaker. In that case, if they address me with usted, I will use usted. If it’s a doctor, if he uses usted [with me] I will use usted [with him] and if he addresses me with vos, maybe I won’t be brave enough to use usted, but I will be near.’

37 Research questions To circle back to our research questions:To what extent are speakers aware of contextual, sociopragmatic, generational, or dialectal factors determining the use of formal address (i.e., usted)? What attitudes do they have towards addressing and being addressed with usted? If usted use is receding, do speakers abandon politeness distinctions? If not, do they use any alternative strategies?

38 Awareness of usted usageAll speakers manifested extremely deliberate rules for informal/formal usage: Some of them made full use of the tripartite system. Others (typically younger) tended to eliminate one form, either tú (vos/usted) or usted (vos/tú) Older users: tended to agree with younger users that the system is becoming simpler some described (and decried) this system as ‘less respectful’ Ironically, nobody expressed discomfort at being addressed with one of informal variants (tú or vos), and in fact several older speakers were pleased with informal address. As usted disappears among the youung: Most speakers resort to alternative strategies to replace it Usted gives way to tú (mainly, in females) Usted is avoided through different strategies (in males)

39 Conclusions

40 Conclusions Main takeaways: To do list:Tripartite systems like that of USp seem unstable. The most polite form: becomes super-deferent and its domains shrink and it becomes increasingly marked Is ejected by egalitarian societies with social mobility That said, and unlike other varieties: loss of usted in USp. doesn’t mean loss of different levels of politeness To do list: Need to complete the remaining interviews (5 from Montevideo, 30 from the rest of the country)