This paper analyses different patterns of forms of address in the pronominal system in Brazilian Portuguese in the beginning of the 20th century. The analysis is based on a sample of private letters written between 1906 and 1936. The analysis is based on two theoretical frameworks: Sociolinguistics and Discourse Tradition Model. The results show four different patterns in the period: (I) the exclusive usage of the intimate tu (you-sg.) in letters of "higher intimacy relationship"; (II) the exclusive usage of você (you-sg derived from Vossa Mercê "Your Grace" or "Your Mercy") in letters of the same nature; (III) the usage of intimate tu (you-sg) correlated with você (you-sg) pronominal paradigm, such as imperative-subjunctive moods in a specific section of the letter; (IV) the tu and você (you-sg) alternation in the same functional contexts but in a different morphosyntactic distribution: tu occurs with a higher rate in [+morphologized] contexts used as a verbal affix or an accusative/dative clitic (te) whereas você is more frequent in [-morphologized] contexts used as a strong pronoun (nominative or prepositional complement).
Forms of pronominal address; Tu/você variation; Linguistic change; Blending of address forms
