Editing T–V distinction (section)

=== Early history: the power semantic ===
In the [[Early Middle Ages]] (the 5th century to the 10th century), the pronoun {{lang|la|vos}} was used to address the most exalted figures, emperors and popes, who would use the pronoun {{lang|la|tu}} to address a subject. This use was progressively extended to other states and societies, and down the social hierarchy as a mark of respect to individuals of higher rank, religious authority, greater wealth, or seniority within a family. The development was slow and erratic, but a consistent pattern of use is estimated to have been reached in different European societies by the period 1100 to 1500. Use of ''V'' spread to upper-class individuals of equal rank, but not to lower class individuals.<ref>Brown & Gilman pp. 254–255</ref> This may be represented in Brown and Gilman's notation:
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan="2"| Unequal power
!colspan="2"| Equal power
|-
| Emperor          || Father           || High-class friend || Low-class friend
|-
| T↓{{spaces|2}}↑V || T↓{{spaces|2}}↑V || ↓↑V               || T↓↑
|-
| Subject          || Son              || High-class friend || Low-class friend
|}