Introducing English Linguistics

Power relationships and social distance
In any social group, there will be differing power relationships among
people. In a classroom, for instance, there will be a disparate power rela-
tionship between teacher and students: the teacher will be a superordi-
nate
(i.e. higher on the power hierarchy) and the students subordinates
(i.e. lower on the hierarchy). Most of the students will be equals: no power
imbalance will exist between them. However, even among students, it is
possible to find disparate relationships if, for instance, students form study
groups, and one or more students in the groups hold power over the
others. Whether individuals are disparates or equals will affect how they
communicate. Students may use 
honorifics
such as Professor or  Doctor to
address their teachers as a way of explicitly marking the disparate power
relationship that exists between a student and a teacher. In contrast, stu-
dents may use their first names to address one another as a way of indi-
cating that they are equals.
In addition to Professor and Doctor, English has a limited number of other
referent honorifics: expressions that show deference and respect to
Politeness
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INTRODUCING ENGLISH LINGUISTICS

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individuals by referring either directly or indirectly to them. In the first
two examples below, the honorifics Mrs and Professor are titles used before
the names of individuals being discussed in the third person. In the sec-
ond two examples, in contrast, Dr and Mister are used before the names of
individuals who are being directly addressed:
Another witness Mrs Angela Higgins said she saw the defendants shout-
ing and behaving stupidly.
(BNC HMA 298)
it is a particular pleasure, for me today to introduce our honored speak-
er, Professor Gary Glick who is Professor of Chemistry and Professor of
Biological Chemistry, and who was named to the Werner E Bachmann
Collegiate Professorship of Chemistry in nineteen ninety-nine. 
(MICASE COL200MX133)