Re: Politeness

Iyan Makswel nsakwish:
>Hey, I had an idea for a "politeness" rule in Lyngom-Vampyr and was
wondering if
>a similar phenomenon occurs in any natlang.
It happens in Japanese as well as English, I hear. Eurolangs usually do
this with pronouns (such as Spanish usted from wossname "your mercy",
such as English "you" rather than "thee, thou"). Spanish also has that
special word I forget for "I would like".

>I'd be interested in any ideas other people have had for politeness in
their
>cultures.
Well, in Sturnan and Hansu, the imperative isn't often used unless you're
being dramatic or speaking to your vassals. Sturnan would use the naked
verb root, whereas Hansu uses the infinitive. (Imagines people rushing
around a burning barn, shouting "To bring water! To throw it on the
flames!")

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