The Cultural Semantics of Address Practices

Chapter 1: Analyzing Address Practices from a Cultural Semantic Point of View

Understanding Address Practices
Types of Words Used for Address Practices
Properties of Words Used for Address Practices
Address Practices in Discourse: Concordance and Reciprocity
The Social Functions of Address Practices
The Pragmatic Functions of Address Practices
The Semantics of Address Practices
The Culture of Address Practices
A Framework for Cross-Cultural Semantic Analysis
The Theory of Cultural Scripts
Address Practices Analyzed in This Book
Linguistic Materials Used for the Analysis
The Importance of a Non-Ethnocentric Linguistic Analysis

Chapter 2: "Sorry Boss": An Unrecognized Category of English Address Nouns

Usage Characteristics
The Interactional Meaning of 'Doctor' as a Prototype of the Category
'Professor': A Case of Double Polysemy
'Boss' vs. First-Name Address in Australian English

Chapter 3: "Prego, Signore": The Semantics of Italian "Titles" Used to Address People

Generic Address Nouns
Signora
Signore
Signorina
Signori
Addressing People Exercising Prestigious Professions
Addressing People Holding Top Positions in an Institution
Addressing Police Officers
Addressing "Distinguished" People
Addressing Priests and Nuns
Addressing Ambassadors, Monarchs, Bishops, Cardinals, the Pope
Addressing Aristocrats
Addressing Waiters and Nurses
Italian "Titles" in English Translation

Chapter 4: "Hi, How Are You?"

Hi in English Discourse
The Interactional Meaning of Hi

Chapter 5: "Ciao!" or "Ciao Ciao"?

Ciao in Italian Discourse
Semantic Explication of Ciao
Two Variants of Ciao
The Phrase 'Va Bene' and the Meaning of 'Vabbè Ciao'
'Ciao Ciao' and Reduplication in Italian

Chapter 6: "Dear Customers, ..."

The Meaning of the Adjective Dear
Dear in Address Practices
The Meaning of Dear Compared With the Meaning of (Ø)

Chapter 7: "Caro Mario," "Gentile Cliente," "Egregio Dottore"

The Meaning of the Adjective Caro/a
Caro/a in Address Practices
Use and Meaning of Gentile in Address Practices
Use and Meaning of Egregio in Address Practices

Chapter 8: "Best Wishes," "Kind Regards," "Yours Sincerely"

"Best Wishes" and Its Variants
From Best Wishes to Best
All the Best and All Best
Warmest Wishes and the Semantics of 'Warm'
"Regards" and Its Variants
From Regards to Best Regards
Kind Regards and the Semantics of 'Kind'
Adverbial Closing Expressions
Yours Sincerely
Yours
Sincerely

Chapter 9: "Distinti," "Cordiali," "Affettuosi Saluti"

The Cultural Semantics of 'Saluto/i' and the Meaning of 'Saluti da ~'
The Interactional Meaning of 'Saluti' as a Closing Expression
Distinti Saluti
Closing Expressions With the Word 'Cordiale'
Affettuosi Saluti and the Semantics of 'Affettuoso'
From Plural to Singular: Closing Expressions Containing 'Saluto'
From Saluti to Un Saluto
From Saluti to Un Caro Saluto
A Presto
Un Bacio

Chapter 10: Italian Cultural Scripts for Address Practices

Cultural Scripts Related to Titles
The Cultural Salience of Titles in Italy
The Address Practices of Italian Speakers in Two Specific Situations
Spoken Interactions Between People Meeting for the First Time
E-mail Exchanges Between University Students and Lecturers
Negotiating Address Practices in Italian: 'Darsi Del Tu'
Cultural Scripts Related to Address Pronouns

Chapter 11: Australian Cultural Scripts for Address Practices

First-Name Address in Australian English
Situational Contexts of Use
The Interactional Meaning of First-Name Address
Cultural Scripts
The Address Practices of Australian English and Italian Speakers Compared

Chapter 12: Address Practices in Intercultural Communication

The "Please, Call Me Alice" Request from a Lecturer to an International Student
The "Call Me Andy" Request in a Cross-Cultural Encounter
Address Practices in an International Political Context

Concluding Remarks