Re: Future English

On 7 Feb 2005, at 6.21 am, Pascal A. Kramm wrote:

> On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 00:37:22 +1100, Tristan McLeay
> <conlang@...> wrote:
>> It also has absolutely
>> no change to the grammar, but the changes in grammar will be the most
>> interesting aspect. How will the clitics develop? Will we see some
>> reanalysed into case markers? Will they become verbal prefixes?
>
> I know... I left that out yet to try out the sound changes.
> You'll find that also in the next version.
>
>> I propose, distant enough in the future, that:
>>
>>  s~z~@z will be reanalysed as, ironically, a singular subject marker
>> (from 'is', 'has')
>
> This far, the singular isn't marked - I have no idea why that should
> change?
Well, from that we should conclude nothing changes, and it defeats the
whole purpose of a discussion on future englishes, doesn't it?

>>   if retained, the plural would be s@~z@~@
>>  the distinction between him ('im) and them ('em) will finally
>> collapse, perhaps taking with it the entire pronominal gender system
>> (a
>> regular plural is easily created with the current s~z~@z, as in
>> 'youse').
>
> Sounds likely... the entire plural forms may get shafted, replaced by
> singular+s.
Well, I was thinking the opposite---the singular forms would get
'shafted', as with 'thou'.

>>  the derivative of 'us' or 'to us' will develop into a 1sg dative,
>> perhaps eventually objective---with 'me' replacing 'I' in the
>> subjective.
>
> Somewhat like in "me thinks..."
No. 'Methinks' comes from the dative of 'me' plus the third person
singular of 'think' with nothing in the nominative. Dates back to an
old germanic habit where words like 'thinks', 'seems' were described as
happening to someone, rather than by them.

It'd be more like 'Me and John went to the moon'.

>>  perhaps a distinction between active and stative verbs deriving from
>> the simple present and the present progressive.
>
> Not very probably, I'd say...
>
>> But I mean to be radical and I'm looking far into the future, so we'll
>> all be dead before my predictions can come true---so I can always live
>> safe in the knowledge that I'm not wrong yet :)
>
> It could also be that the many current dialects of English develop into
> separate languages... not unlikely at all I'd say.
Indeed not, but for it to happen any time soon the pesky issue of an
American English--dominated media will need to be dealt with.
Otherwise, Australian English might be in a similar position to Swiss
German, I imagine (except orthographically there'll be different
issues, and Aussie English will be perfectly acceptable in schools, but
what I mean is that we'll all need to understand another dialect to
watch the TV or something).

--
Tristan.