Observations on the use of the Formal and the Familiar Forms of Address in the German Language
Abstract
As a native
speaker of American English studying the German language and
people, the theme of this work has been a source of much serious
contemplation, both academically and in active use of German in
Germany. I have been puzzled and fascinated by the concept of the
familiar and the formal, and after personally encountering the
conflict of choosing the familiar or formal forms of address, a
common stumbling block for many non-native speakers of German, I
was inspired to take a closer look at the purposes and reasons behind
both. This paper will hopefully serve to clarify the differences for
others as it has for me.