Your description of the nuance here is helpful in other languages too, Spanish for example, I'd guess.
It also hints at ways that subtle pressure can be brought to bear on someone---asking for someone as a "tu" in a more formal setting, for example, implies that they're one of the gang, includes them in. Going to formal language, as you observe, puts distance into the relationship. A nice barometer, and one easily manipulated if one should be so inclined.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2016-02-01 05:47 pm (UTC)It also hints at ways that subtle pressure can be brought to bear on someone---asking for someone as a "tu" in a more formal setting, for example, implies that they're one of the gang, includes them in. Going to formal language, as you observe, puts distance into the relationship. A nice barometer, and one easily manipulated if one should be so inclined.