Paper short abstract:

Sex has a considerable effect on the selection of pronoun. Pronouns give information about a person's attitude towards members of the opposite sex. Other core factors age and occupational status also determine a particular choice.

Paper long abstract:

The present paper explores two linked variables, sex of the speakers and sex of the addressee, which are more influential in determining appropriate pronouns in Hindi (Tu, Tum and Aap). Women are more restrained in their possible choices of pronouns. Pronouns give not only information about her or his political views and social class but also information about a person's attitude towards members of the opposite sex. These rules of pronominal usage reveal information about the relationship of the sexes in a society, especially the maintaining of distinctions.

The data of the present study were collected through questionnaire - interview method. The source of the data were 200 subjects (120 men and 80 women), representing different section of society. The questionnaire aimed at eliciting information regarding pronominal usage between the subject and his/her mother, father, spouse, children and friends, etc.

The response to the questions indicates that in most of the situations, sex has a considerable effect on the selection of pronoun. In certain cases sex overlaps with other core factors like age and occupational status to determine a particular choice.