SILGLOBALGlossary of
Linguistic Terms

Glossary term R

Referent Honorific

Definition

A referent honorific is an honorific for which both the referent and the target of the expression of relative social status are the same.

Examples

(French) Both the referent and target of expression of the second person pronouns tu [familiar] and vous [polite] are the addressee.

See also

Referent Status Second Person Deixis Pronoun Addressee

Sources 1

  1. Levinson 1983, 90
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