What’s in a “ брат”? Identity construction and labeling by young Bulgarian speakers

This study explores the sociolinguistic and pragmatic functions of the Bulgarian term 'brother’ in contemporary youth discourse, focusing on its role in identity construction and stance-taking. Based on survey data from 323 respondents aged 14–69, the findings reveal that functions as a stance indexical used predominantly by adolescents and young adults to signal solidarity, familiarity, and in-group affiliation. Gendered interpretations vary, with female speakers often reframing the term as a marker of expressivity rather than as a marker of masculinity. In contrast, non-active users, especially older respondents, frequently associate with ignorance or low prestige language, reflecting language ideologies that regulate slang use. The study demonstrates that has undergone a pragmatic shift from a kinship term to a socially marked address form that indexes generational, ideological, and stylistic identity. These findings contribute to our understanding how address terms mediate social differentiation and how innovative linguistic choices are perceived across generational cohorts within contemporary Bulgarian society.