411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
T form
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Noun
en T-form.
en 2002 Cliff Goddard; Anna Wierzbicka Meaning and Universal Grammar In most Romance languages, the “intimate” T form is believed to be semantically more basic than the “formal” V form (Wierzbicka 1992:320).
en 2006 Anne Barron Learning to say 'You' in German Language Learners in Study Abroad Contexts In general, the V form (Sie) is employed in German where interlocutors use a title and surname to refer nominally to each other, whereas the T form (du) is employed among interlocutors on first name terms (cf. Wein-rich, 1993: 822).
en 2010 Anna Trosborg Pragmatics across Languages and Cultures Historically, deciding whether to use the V or T form was determined by the power relationship between the interlocutors. Lower status persons addressed higher status persons with the V form; conversely higher status persons addressed lower status with the T form.
en 2015 Ronald Wardhaugh; Janet M. Fuller An Introduction to Sociolinguistics The T form is sometimes described as the 'familiar' form and the V form as the 'polite' one, although the social meanings of these forms are in reality much more complex than that.