Re: THEORY: case systems [was Viko Notes]

On Wed, 26 Jun 2002, Thomas R. Wier wrote:

> (Note that your first example is almost always an instance
> of hypercorrection, in that that speaker usually doesn't also say *"give
> it to Jim and he" or "give it to Jim and they".
This is the standard interpretation, but is probably wrong. As far back as
can be traced by written records, Indo-European languages have been
putting non-initial conjuncts in the nominative case (not consistently,
but as an option).

It is also untrue that these mismatches only occur with "I", though this
is also what you frequently read or hear. Shakespeare used lines like
"between my good man and he" (Merry Wives). This use of "I" is more common
than the others, but it is not unique.

  Your second example
> where two accusative-marked pronouns can be used as subjects if
> conjoined is far more systematic and widespread, and so does need to
> be accounted for in a theory of morphosyntax in a way your first does
> not.
As I say in my other posting on this topic, both phenomena are
wide-spread, and I have in fact seen more examples of the first type in
the world's languages.

Marcus

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