Vocative of the People’s Public Security Force Viewed from Perspective of Communicative Ranks

Abstract

In this article, we use the theory of communicative ranks and vocative characteristics to explore some of the vocative characteristics of the communicative ranks of the People's Public Security officers in communication. The basis for us to determine the vocative characteristics of the People's Public Security officers is the Regulations of the People’s Public Security and the results of the corpus survey data obtained through a number of TV dramas. The survey results show that 12/13 types of vocations are used and in different situations, the People’s Public Security officers’ vocative form is flexible. In addition to the legal vocative given in the Regulation of the People’s Public Security, the vocative pair of “toi – đồng chi (I-comrade) appears with a very high frequency and depending on the different circumstances, the pair is changed flexibly. From the results of the survey, analysis and interpretation, we came up with the following statement: the vocative of the People’s Public Security officers is both regular and customary, both formal and friendly, which enriches kind culture in the communication of Vietnamese people.