an elder. The older second person singular possessive (), and (, Shetland dialect along with ) still survive to some extent where remains in use. Yiddish Yiddish makes use of the second person plural form as the polite form for both singular and plural. In the second person plural form (), there is therefore no distinction between formal and informal forms. There is a dialectal pronoun () strictly for informal second-person plural form, but this pronoun is rarely used today and is only found in some dialects of Poland and neighboring regions. Given that medieval German dialects were the main influence on the development of the Yiddish language, this form may be recognized with older polite forms of the German language. Romance languages Catalan Catalan uses the singular pronouns (informal) and (formal), while (informal) and (formal) are used for two or more addressees. The form , used instead of to address someone respectfully, follows the same concordance rules as the French (verbs in second person plural, adjectives in singular), and follows the same concordance rules as the Spanish (verbs in third person). originated from as a calque from Spanish, and replaced the original Catalan form . In some dialects, is no longer used. Other dialects have a three-way distinction / / , where is used as a respectful form for elders and respected friends, and for foreigners and people whom one does not know well. is more distant than . The Administration uses to address people. French In most French-speaking regions (with the exception of Canada, see North American French below), a rigid T–V distinction is upheld. With regard to the second person singular, is used informally, whereas is used to convey formality. The second person plural is always . The formal is expected when encountering any unknown adult under normal circumstances. In general, the switch from to is "negotiated" on a case-by-case basis; it can happen nearly unconsciously, or can be explicitly negotiated. For instance, some couples have been known to call each other for some time while dating, and gradually switch to calling each other . The verb means "address someone with -forms, speak informally"; by contrast means "address someone with forms". Rigidly sticking to vous can become equally awkward in a long-standing relationship. In certain circumstances, however, is used more broadly. For example, new acquaintances who are conscious of having something socially significant in common (e.g., student