honorifik

An honorifik, sometimes spelled honorific in English and used in linguistic literature as honorifik, is a linguistic form that encodes respect, deference, or social hierarchy in the way a person is addressed or referred to. Honorifiks may be lexical items (titles and kinship terms), pronouns, or inflectional affixes on verbs or adjectives, and they can appear in direct address, referential forms, or verb conjugations. They help signal the speaker's stance toward the addressee and the social context, such as formality, age, rank, or relationship.

In English, honorifics are traditionally titles like Mr., Mrs., Dr., as well as polite terms like Sir or Ma'am; polite forms may also appear in modal verbs or softening language.

Many languages have elaborate honorific systems. Japanese uses suffixes like -san, -sama attached to names and employs polite verb endings. Korean marks levels with verb endings and honorific nouns; respectful address uses suffixes and honorific forms. Indonesian and Malay use Bapak, Ibu, Saudara for respectful address; the term honorifik is used to describe these forms in linguistics. Thai uses Khun; Vietnamese uses Ông/Bà with kin terms.

The use of honorifik may be mandatory in formal contexts or with elders and superiors and can reflect gender or age norms in some languages. In some communities, overuse or misapplication can be perceived as rote politeness or social distance.

Scholarly study frames honorifik as part of politeness theory, speech levels, and social identity; debates focus on whether they reinforce hierarchy or enable inclusive respect.