Linguistic attitudes toward the tuteo and voseo in Montevideo, Uruguay

This study reports on 431 surveys that were used to determine speakers’ attitudes toward the tuteo and voseo in Montevideo. It examines speakers’ attitudes toward: the use of tú; the use of vos in [+D] domains; speakers’ recognition of V–V, T–V, and T–T combinations; ti and vos in prepositional phrases; and the dialect of Montevideo. All speakers express positive attitudes toward the tuteo, although those under 40 do not use it. Younger speakers show a preference for V–V combinations and a predilection for vos as a prepositional object. The youngest subjects expressed the most positive attitude toward the Montevidean dialect. Although recent research points to an increasing use of the voseo in Montevideo (Steffen 2010, Weyers 2009, Bertolotti and Coll 2006), the generally favorable attitudes expressed toward the tuteo suggest an affinity toward the Montevideo norm, regardless of actual usage or potential future changes.