[lcall]

I know "vos" (which I think voseo means, from this discussion?) is also used in Guatemala, and someone else here mentioned it as used in Paraguay. I read years ago that such things originated based on in which century and from what part of Spain someone migrated.

[narag]

Vos is an archaic pronoun that was used to address the nobility. Like usted it was associated with a different verbal form, in this case the plural. You address a noble as if he was more than one person. I guess that's hard to appreciate in English that doesn't make a differece even in the pronoun: you for one you and you for multiple yous.

Argentinian Voseo is using the pronoun but not the majestic plural. Instead they create a brand new form, altering the accent. I had no idea that it was so extended outside Argentina. That surprises me because I know people from many of the relevant countries and had not heard any of them using it, except Argentinians.

[lcall]

Interesting; thanks. Actually I don't know how heavily "vos" is used in Guatemala. I know it is used extensively (I heard it occasionally: "mir'a vos", like "look, dude"), but I got the vague impression it might be mostly youths being chummy with each other, and/or could be considered less-educated, but I'm really not sure at all. Other missionaries and I always used Usted regardless of who we were talking with. I did hear that "tu" was only for boys trying to sound romantic to their girlfriend, imitating television.

[ChainOfFools]

English once did have a 2p distinction - 'you' was formerly the plural form, singular was marked by the now archaic 'thou.' Thou disappeared during the 17th and 18th centuries and "you" + context assumed the duties of both pronouns.