Privet vsem...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_christine/]

While I was in Russia, I noticed that sometimes my host mother sometimes used the genitive case when addressing my host brother or host sister (for example: Kati! instead of Katya or Marata! instead of Marat). Does that sort of address have a different connotation than simply saying "Katya!" or "Marat!"? I suspect it may have been something very obvious that I was oblivious to.

Spacibo!