Re: USAGE: 2nd pers. pron. for God

 --- Philip Newton skrzypszy:

> > "Gij" in commonly used as the second person singular in Belgium;
>
> I know. Which is why I asked about "Dutch people" rather than, say,
> "Dutch-speaking people". Perhaps I should have been more explicit.
Not at all. There was nothing wrong with your question, I just misunderstood
it. My apologies.

> It was one line when I got it. I note that you claim it is used in
> literature; arguably, so is "thou" in English. But I'd say that most people,
> if they use it at all, use it in speaking to God, and I was wondering
> whether this was the same in Dutch.
>
> Let me re-state my question.
>
> Do most people from the Netherlands (*not* from Belgium), if they use "gij"
> at all, use it to anyone except God?
Well, first of all I must say that I'm not at all an actively church-going or
praying person. But as far as I know, we rather don't use "gij" at all; God is
addressed rather with "u" than with "gij".
To me, "gij" sounds archaic rather than religious. If I would ever use it, then
rather in a joking manner.
A Dutch writer, Godfried Bomans, wrote a parody on Sherlock Holmes, called
"Bill Clifford". Mr. Clifford, who is of course the greatest detective on
Earth, is presented as a real "Übermensch", both mentally and physically. In
his speech, Clifford consequently uses the "gij" form (or a shorter form of it,
"ge"). This sounds like very old-fashioned, very high speech. It illustrates
his high level of education and distinguishes it from that of the others.

Jan

=====
"Originality is the art of concealing your source." - Franklin P. Jones

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