Interference: Journal of Language, Literature, and Linguistics
Vol 7, No 2 (2026): INTERFERENCE

Negotiation Social Relation through Nominal Address Terms in The German Netflix Series “Die Kaiserin”

Nur Anis Fazana A. Ramli (Universiti Putra Malaysia)
Ikmal Trianto (Universiti Putra Malaysia)
Keni Pradianti (Universitas Pamulang)



Article Info

Publish Date
28 Oct 2026

Abstract

Abstract. This study aims to identify the realization of nominal address terms and their socio-pragmatic functions in the Netflix series Die Kaiserin, while examining how interactions among the German upper-class are linguistically represented and how social structures are revealed through address forms. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach, analyzing dialogues from all six episodes of the first season. The data were collected from the series’ dialogue transcripts and classified according to the nominal address-term categories proposed by Brown and Ford (1961) and Wardhaugh and Fuller (2015). Their socio-pragmatic functions were further analyzed in relation to respect, intimacy, and power differentials. The analysis identified 75 instances of nominal address terms distributed across five categories: titles (56%), first names (25.3%), special nicknames (9.3%), kinship terms (6.7%), and pet names (2.7%). In terms of pragmatic functions, respect was the most dominant (54.7%), followed by intimacy (25.3%), intimacy combined with power differential (8%), power differential alone (6.7%), and intimacy combined with respect (5.3%). The findings demonstrate that nominal address terms function not merely as linguistic labels but as socio-pragmatic resources for expressing social status, maintaining interpersonal relations, and negotiating power. They also reflect the hierarchical organization of the royal court and the socially constrained relationships among characters. More broadly, the study highlights how language encodes and reproduces social structures within historically situated representations. Although based on a fictionalized depiction of nineteenth-century German nobility, the findings contribute to broader socio-pragmatic understanding of how address practices index social hierarchy, relational distance, and power across culturally and historically specific contexts. Keywords: Nominal address terms, social relations, Socio-pragmatic, German series, Die Kaiserin

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Journal Info

Abbrev

INTERFERENCE

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education Social Sciences

Description

INTERFERENCE focuses on the publication of research articles which conduct languages as the main object. This articles that contribute to the strengthening of critical approaches, increasing the quality of critique, or encouragement of innovative methodologies. Topics include: Language Learning and ...