INTRODUCTION
Names are a function of language. If language shapes perception, then so, in turn, do names. Conventions regarding names, reference terms, and terms of address reveal the underlying framework through which we categorize others relative to ourselves. They are flexible and are established from the outset of a relationship, typically by the person with more status. They are determined by factors such as age, status, and culture.
AGE
Proximity of age is inversely related to the respect and formality with which people are addressed. Age also indicates whether first names are used. For example, I might say to my friend of the same age, CiCi Guo, “Are you coming tonight, CiCi?” Nicknames can also be used to establish familiarity. For …show more content…
They may reflect the culture or first language of the person being addressed as well as conventionally used terms of address within the family. These may be inconsistent, depending on how much each family member identifies with the culture and speaks the language. For example, my maternal grandmother was born in India. Although she learned English as a second language, she is most comfortable with Punjabi and continues to practice her Indian culture. Hence I call her “Nani,” the Punjabi word for grandmother. On the other hand, I address her son as “Uncle Uday”. Although he speaks Punjabi and English like my aunt, he grew up in Kenya, and English-speaking country. From this it can be concluded that individuals tied to more than one culture prefer terms of address from the one they identify most strongly with. Sociopolitical beliefs also impact names. My mother has strong personal beliefs about the role of women. She uses her maiden name, “Shankardass,” instead of “Daljeet”, my father’s surname. This is despite the fact that she is still married to my father and that this was uncommon at the time they married. Personal beliefs, both cultural and social, are key to understanding terms of address.
CONCLUSION Use of names and terms of address vary based on age, status, and sociocultural affinity. Age and familiarity determine whether nicknames are permitted. The higher status person is given an honorific and a formal term of address. A person who is multicultural, in the sense that they live in a different country than they were born in or if they speak, prefers to be addressed with terms from the culture they identify with most. In addition, we are more comfortable addressing others according to convention, particularly older individuals with
Names are a function of language. If language shapes perception, then so, in turn, do names. Conventions regarding names, reference terms, and terms of address reveal the underlying framework through which we categorize others relative to ourselves. They are flexible and are established from the outset of a relationship, typically by the person with more status. They are determined by factors such as age, status, and culture.
AGE
Proximity of age is inversely related to the respect and formality with which people are addressed. Age also indicates whether first names are used. For example, I might say to my friend of the same age, CiCi Guo, “Are you coming tonight, CiCi?” Nicknames can also be used to establish familiarity. For …show more content…
They may reflect the culture or first language of the person being addressed as well as conventionally used terms of address within the family. These may be inconsistent, depending on how much each family member identifies with the culture and speaks the language. For example, my maternal grandmother was born in India. Although she learned English as a second language, she is most comfortable with Punjabi and continues to practice her Indian culture. Hence I call her “Nani,” the Punjabi word for grandmother. On the other hand, I address her son as “Uncle Uday”. Although he speaks Punjabi and English like my aunt, he grew up in Kenya, and English-speaking country. From this it can be concluded that individuals tied to more than one culture prefer terms of address from the one they identify most strongly with. Sociopolitical beliefs also impact names. My mother has strong personal beliefs about the role of women. She uses her maiden name, “Shankardass,” instead of “Daljeet”, my father’s surname. This is despite the fact that she is still married to my father and that this was uncommon at the time they married. Personal beliefs, both cultural and social, are key to understanding terms of address.
CONCLUSION Use of names and terms of address vary based on age, status, and sociocultural affinity. Age and familiarity determine whether nicknames are permitted. The higher status person is given an honorific and a formal term of address. A person who is multicultural, in the sense that they live in a different country than they were born in or if they speak, prefers to be addressed with terms from the culture they identify with most. In addition, we are more comfortable addressing others according to convention, particularly older individuals with