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2nd person inanimate (WAS: Numbers from 1 to 12 in Ayeri)

From:Matt Trinsic <trinsic@...>
Date:Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 22:45
> From: Jörg Rhiemeier <joerg_rhiemeier@W...> > Date: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:09 pm > Subject: Re: DRAFT: Numbers from 1 to 12 in Ayeri > > And looking at your Ayeri grammar (to which I found a link in the > ZBB discussion), I hit upon a somewhat bizarre phenomenon, namely > an animate-inanimate distinction in 2nd person pronouns. One doesn't > often talk to inanimate objects; does one need special pronouns > for this purpose?
But wouldn't it be interesting to invent a language in which a 2nd person inanimate is useful? Maybe a language where it is used when you are writing a letter? Viewing it as yourself talking to the paper, and the paper later talking to the intended recipient. I am sure there must be other interesting ways of making 2nd person inanimate useful as well. Or maybe I am just a sucker for bizarre languages ;) ~Trinsic

Replies

Philippe Caquant <herodote92@...>
Sally Caves <scaves@...>
Steg Belsky <draqonfayir@...>