This work is based on examples taken from tape-recordings made for a project entitled ‘Projeto da linguagem dos idosos velhos (LIV)’ (The speech of the old-old), comprising some fifty studies involving the interaction between young and old speakers in a wide variety of contextsat home, in old people’s homes and in rest homes. We have also used, exceptionally, some recordings from the ‘Projeto de estudo da norma lingüística urbana culta de São Paulo (NURC/SP)’ (Study of the educated urban linguistic norm of São Paulo, Brazil).