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

 --- Philip Newton skrzypszy:

> John Cowan wrote:
> [Speaking to God in Yiddish]
> > It's standard to use the 2sg (familiar) in German too
>
> Which is why I was surprised to hear that Dutch uses "u". (I also know a
> Dutch member of my church; she also uses "u" when she prays.)
That's rather a matter of culture, I believe; for me it is not surprising at
all, at least.
In theory, "jij" is only used between people who know each other closely and
who are at the same level. There are still a lot of children in Holland who
address their parents with "u". This is rapidly changing now, and it is not
uncommon (unlike in Germany for example) that students call their professors
with their first names and "jij", and so do secondary school pupils with their
teachers.
However, it would still sound a bit blasphemous to say "jij" to God; that would
be denying your own nothingness in comparison with His greatness...

Jan

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

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