A Sociolinguistic Analysis of the Addressee–Reference Usage of the First-Person Pronouns watasi(tati) in Japanese

Terms of address in Japanese have been studied abundantly, with particular attention paid to their referential use in daily life, for instance, kinship terms and personal pronouns. In order to broaden our understanding on terms of address, however, it is essential to describe and analyze less-frequently-used and 'marked' terms of address. This study paid particular attention to the addressee–reference usage of first-person pronouns watasi and watasitati. Specifically, these pronouns can be employed typically by male adult speakers to address younger adult female addressee(s). These pronouns are strategically chosen to satisfy conflicting sociolinguistic/communicative needs that cannot be satisfied by genuine second-person pronouns. The pronouns (watasi and watasitati), which copy the forms originally used by addressees to refer to themselves, neither sound too close nor too formal, striking a delicate balance in terms of interpersonal distance.