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Softening and lessening threats to dignity

118d

Vocatives are commonly used to mitigate a threat to the listener’s dignity or to

soften an utterance. A vocative is not normally threatening and indicates

solidarity and membership of a group:

[group of female young friends discussing eating and weight problems]

A: You’re not fat Jane.

B: I will be if I’m not careful.

Vocatives can soften utterances which may possibly threaten, challenge or offend

another speaker. In these functions the vocative typically occurs at or near the

front of an utterance or in a mid position:

A: So she’s gonna try and go into school. But she’s got an arrangement that

she’ll come for er er if she can’t manage next week. 

B: But Sally, she’s old to be teaching.

I’m sorry to have to tell you, 

Daria, that you haven’t been successful.

Vocatives are also used to make requests more indirect and to lessen the

imposition:

A: Will you put on the fish, Nancy, so that it’ll heat, the fish now.

B: Oh yeah.