Pronoun Sg/Pl Differentiation (was: Recalled to life)
From: | Steg Belsky <draqonfayir@...> |
Date: | Tuesday, October 15, 2002, 0:56 |
On Mon, 14 Oct 2002 17:09:15 -0400 "Nathaniel G. Lew"
<natlew@...> writes:
> One big exception is the 1st-person pronouns. "I" and "we" feel to
> me
> like really different concepts, although I understand that several
> Asian
> languages just pluralize "I" for "we" or, if they have no plural,
> use the
> same word. I guess I am just an individualist anti-communitarian
> American
> conlanger at heart ;-) The other exception is with the third-person
> non-
> human (demonstrative) pronouns. Those are both singular and plural
> in
> lots of languages, but I decided to put the strong (lexical)
> singular/plural division in the language there because it was the
> most
> elegant place in the system to put it. Since those pronouns are
> used as
> articles, it makes separate inflection for number unnecessary.
> - Nat
-
In my Goblin language, Gabwe, there are 4 first-person pronouns, but only
one each of persons #2 and #3:
ek = me
hib = we (me+you)
gur' = we (me+them)
tuy = we (me+you+them)
yaw = you (singular and plural)
da = them (singular and plural)
-Stephen (Steg)
"tezar, uh tezar-nyet?"