On Tue, 2006-08-01 at 15:19 +0100, Howard Winter wrote:

> I've always thought that the second-person singular in English, German, and French (thou, du, tu) were being phased out and replaced by 
> the plural (you, sie, vous), and that English is a bit ahead in the schedule!  "Thou" is decidedly archaic, and I've been told by germans 
> that "du" rather sounds it too.  

I'm certainly no expert, but in the area of Austria my parents live in
I'd say things are going the other direction, sie is falling a little in
popularity, while du is more familiar, when in the company of people you
know.

> The overall effect is that the second person plural in each language *can* be used to address any number 
> of people, including one, and I suspect that before much longer all three of the singulars will disappear except in old books, plays and 
> films!
> 
> Incidentally, addressing someone as "you" without using their name can feel rather agressive in English - a bit like pointing a finger at 
> them.

Interesting, something saying "you" to me doesn't seem at all
aggressive, unless you including the pointing finger with the you, then
yes, it would feel aggressive to me. TTYL

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