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It’s not all about you: New perspectives on address research
Edited by Bettina Kluge and María Irene Moyna
[Topics in Address Research 1] 2019
► pp. 221–250

Transition from V to T address among restaurant customers and waiters in Italy

Drawing on a large-scale study on reported address practices in restaurant encounters in Italy, this chapter examines transition from formal V to informal T singular address pronouns in Italian, focusing on five geographically dispersed regions. Quantitative data suggest that the customer/waiter interaction provides opportunity for frequent V to T transition, with restaurants of a more modest type and those in small towns facilitating such a shift. The region where respondents live also seems to play a role and may be indicative of the effect of local dialects on regional varieties of Italian. Qualitative data indicate that the issue of who initiates the switch is revealing of power dynamics, sometimes involving imposition and resistance. Morphological aspects, such as the complex management of the V form lei, may also be involved.
Keywords: address, Italian, service encounters, restaurants, transition, switching, address shift, power
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1V to T transition in Italian
    • 2.2Different V address systems in Italian dialects
    • 2.3Customer/waiter relationship and Italian address
  • 3.Methodology
  • 4.Expected results
  • 5.Quantitative data
    • 5.1Transition from V to T and associated variables
      • 5.1.1Transition and age
      • 5.1.2Transition and gender
      • 5.1.3Transition and regions
      • 5.1.4Transition and size of town
      • 5.1.5Transition and restaurant status
    • 5.2Person initiating V to T transition
    • 5.3Mechanisms of V to T transition
  • 6.Qualitative data and discussion
    • 6.1Circumstances of V to T transition
      • 6.1.1Young waiters and young customers
      • 6.1.2Common ground
      • 6.1.3Regularity of contact and restaurant status
      • 6.1.4Tablemates
      • 6.1.5Humor and friendliness
      • 6.1.6Connection and flirting
    • 6.2Initiating and resisting transition
    • 6.3Power, imposition and reporting on power
    • 6.4Complexity of lei and an interpretation of regional variation
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 28 November 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tar.1.09bre
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