“Stop measuring egos.” Finding a middle ground between discernment and volition in European Portuguese

Forms of address in European Portuguese (EP) extend beyond the traditional T/V distinction, incorporating second person (2P) and third person (3P) nominal, pronominal, and verb pro-drop forms. This study examines metapragmatic comments on EP address extracted from Reddit — an online forum known for its diverse user-generated content. These comments are analyzed as stance acts reflecting either volition (individual strategies), discernment (adherence to established traditions), or a compromise between these two extremes. The data reveal a prevalent noncommittal stance that avoids strictly adhering to T or V forms. Instead, there is a tendency towards interpersonal equality in address selection, using 3P pro-drop and the pronouns você and tu, though this is countered by the extant complexity of status-based, deferential address. Access Key S