Re: Person distinctions in languages?

In portuguese, we have the three usual persons, but if
we want to say something in the 2nd person (singular
or plural), the verbs are conjugated as 3rd person.

amar = to love

      sing.
1st person = eu amo
2nd   "    = tu amas*
3rd   "    = ele/ela ama

       plural
1st = nós amamos
2nd = vós amais*
3rd = eles/elas amam

* These forms are never used in spoken languages and
even in books, newspaper, etc. It is used only in the
bible or old texts.

For the second person, we use the conjugation of the
3rd person, but we change the pronoun. Instead of
"ele" and "eles", we use "você" and "vocês":

sing.
1st = eu amo
2nd, 3rd = você/ele/ela ama

plural
1st = nós amamos
2nd, 3rd = vocês/eles/elas amam



 --- # 1 <salut_vous_autre@...> escreveu:
> >Are there any languages that break the pattern of
> >first-second-third-(fourth) person? I'm trying to
> >model a system that doesn't use such distinctions,
> but
> >I can't figure out how to make it coherent or
> >intelligible without perhaps a model to base it on.
>
> In Spanish, if you don't use the pronouns and only
> use conjugation, using
> the 3rd person singular marker can indicates that it
> is a 3rd person
> subject(el, ella) or a respected 2nd person(usted)
>
> And, in south-american spanish, the 3rd person
> plural conjugation may also
> indicates a 3rd person subject(ellos, ellas) or a
> 2nd person one, not
> necessarly respected (ustedes), they don't use 2nd
> person plural in
> South-America
>
> You may mix you 2nd and 3rd person pronouns and
> markers, that would mean
> that the argument don't contain the speaker (and, if
> you want, its number)
>
>
> - Max
>
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