Vietnamese Personal Terms of Address Reflecting Family Cultures and Relationships Based on Halliday’s Interpersonal Metafunction

The article analyzes the role of terms of address in Vietnamese family relationships through three basic elements of the interpersonal metafunction according to M.A.K Halliday's theory of Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG): (1) personal expression, (2) social distance, and (3) relative social status. Terms of address not only reflect feelings and mental states but also express social and cultural positions in the family. The paper uses descriptive and discourse analysis methodologies to clarify the communicative functions and cultural significance of the terms of address' system in the relationships between husband and wife, grandparents and grandchildren, parents and children, and siblings. These terms assist in maintaining family cohesion and affirm cultural values such as affection, respect, and family responsibilities. The preservation and adaptation of these pronouns in traditional ways can contribute to maintaining harmony and sustainability in Vietnamese family relationships.