STATUS VOCATIVES IN THE ANNUAL ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT IN RUSSIAN, AMERICAN AND BRITISH POLITICAL DISCOURSE

Abstract

The paper describes dynamic aspects of the status vocative system in Russian, American and British political communication. It investigates Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly in Russia, Speech from the Throne in Great Britain and State of the Union Address in the USA as a special genre of political discourse. The author analyzes vocatives in 25 Presidential Addresses to the Federal Assembly in Russia (1994-2019), 232 State of the Union Addresses in the USA (1790-2019) and Speeches from the Throne in Great Britain (1727-2017). The paper considers the problem of typological differences and similarities in British, Russian and American political discourse. Terms of address in political communication are means of identifying reference groups. As address formulas are frequently used, their influencing potential may get weaker. So top public officials have to use a great variety of linguistic means to attract the attention of the addressees. The study shows that status terms of address play a significant role in American and Russian political discourse and British monarchs use only status vocatives in Speeches from the Throne. The American presidents use more varied forms of address (special status vocatives and general status terms of address, zero and emotive vocatives, and anthroponyms) in comparison to those used in Presidential Addresses to the Federal Assembly in Russia (special status vocatives, zero and emotive vocatives) and Speeches from the Throne in Great Britain (only special status vocatives). Using terms of address contributes to shortening the social status distance between the leaders of the countries and the addressees.