|
|
Vosotros
Hello!
What is the history behind the absence of "vosotros" in Latin America? Thanks! Hola! Alguien sabe cuál es la historia de la falta de "vosotros" en Latinoamérica? Gracias! Saludos
Two forms of the second person was used in old Spanish: 'tú' (singular) and 'vos' (plural). Eventually 'vos' came to be used for both formal second person singular and second person plural. At the time of the discovery of America, many Spaniards began using 'vos' + 'ostros' for second person plural in order to avoid confusion with the singular 'vos'. At roughly the same time they also began to use 'vuestra merced' (later 'vusted', then 'usted') to address the nobility, which eventually developed into second person formal singular. The used of 'vosotros' however was slow to take root in Andalucia where they chose instead to adopt a plural form of usted: 'ustedes'. Many of the new world colonists originated from Andalucia, thus taking with them their distinct grammar.
French in Quebec also developed somthing similar: vous-autres, as well as with nous-autres and eux-autres.
The funny thing is that many Latin Americans think Spaniards sound old-fashioned because of their usage of vosotros, when really, vosotros is a modern form in comparative terms.
vosotros = you all (informal) ustedes = you (a formal way of addressing to a group of people) tú = you (one person, informal talking)
Tu is formal in many parts of Central America and Argentina because it's never used, it's archaic-sounding (you can find it only in the Bible)
Usted is informal in many parts of Central America and Colombia, it's like you in English. In Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica: tu = thou vos = you (informal) Usted = you (formal) Spanish pronoun usage varies from country to country. Every country has it's own grammar, so to speak.
Countries where VOS is predominant:
Central American countries except Panama Bolivia Paraguay Uruguay Argentina In many areas of Ecuador and Colombia VOS is also used. In Venezuela in Zulia. In Mexico in Chiapas. In Chile they use mostly TÚ, but with verbs of VOS (tenís, sabís, podís, tomái, estái, etc.)
in Northern Chile and central Colombia and many parts of Central America, there is Ustedeo, that is using Usted as informal pronoun, so, even mother calls her child ''Usted''. Usted is used between friends, and lovers, it's very informal
For informal situations:
In Central America the ustedeo is present in Costa Rica, where USTED is used side by side with VOS, but not TÚ. Nicaragua, on the other hand, is thoroughly VOS, just like in Argentina & Uruguay. In Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, VOS is predominant.
<< Two forms of the second person was used in old Spanish: 'tú' (singular) and 'vos' (plural). Eventually 'vos' came to be used for both formal second person singular and second person plural. At the time of the discovery of America, many Spaniards began using 'vos' + 'ostros' for second person plural in order to avoid confusion with the singular 'vos'. At roughly the same time they also began to use 'vuestra merced' (later 'vusted', then 'usted') to address the nobility, which eventually developed into second person formal singular. The used of 'vosotros' however was slow to take root in Andalucia where they chose instead to adopt a plural form of usted: 'ustedes'. Many of the new world colonists originated from Andalucia, thus taking with them their distinct grammar. >>
Thank you!
I like vosotros because it is an unusual long word for a pronou. That is the reason why I love Romance languages. They have so many pompous words with so many vowels.
"I like vosotros because it is an unusual long word for a pronou. That is the reason why I love Romance languages. They have so many pompous words with so many vowels."
Vosotros get dropped most of the time, just like the other subject pronoums, so that's shorter than "you" innit? That's what I like from the English language, those tiny words you repeat all the time, don't you?
I do like those words because they make it clear who you're talking about. It's hard to tell with Spanish a lot of the time.
|