FORMAS DE TRATAMENTO: USOS E DESUSOS DO NORDESTE TRASMONTANO

The forms of address allow us to reveal, through a communication situation, the social roles that each individual plays in society. The particularities of the forms of address convey knowledge about the social relations of each era as well as their mutability over time. The present study aims to investigate the forms of address typical of Northeastern Trás-os-Montes, promoting a diachronic analysis of these sociolinguistic phenomena. The methodology used is based on semi-structured interviews with individuals from different age groups in the border village of Avelanoso, the municipality of Vimioso, and the district of Bragança. The main results indicate that the number of forms of address used is currently reduced and that many peculiar solutions of Northeast Trás-os-Montes have faded during the last decades. There’s also a significant difference between the older generations, who are used to highlighting social differences through recursive forms of address, and the younger generations, whose democratic interactions in informal relationships boil down to the equality of tu and the lesser intimacy of você.