Address form selection amongst urban Spanish youth

Abstract

In Peninsular Spanish there has been a shift in choice of form of address toward increased frequency of solidary tú in comparison to other Spanish-speaking dialects. This shift was advanced largely by urban youth speakers during the latter half of the twentieth century. It occurred in tandem with the growth of a youth sociolect called cheli. The nature of this sociolect as a badge of youth linguistic identity links it to the expansion of the realm of solidarity among youth speakers. It is argued that the youth sociolect cheli acted as a conductor or growth medium for the expansion of the solidarity domain and subsequent increased frequency of use of tú throughout Peninsular Spanish. Using data from works of theater as diachronic evidence, the shift in form of address is documented and analyzed in terms of the role of youth speakers in this process.