Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: first person plural

From:Roger Mills <rfmilly@...>
Date:Monday, January 15, 2007, 22:01
Dennis Paul Himes wrote:
> Seezzitonian now has both inclusive and exclusive first person. In > the > plural they've been distinguished by whether or not the second person is > included. In the singular the exclusive is usually used, the inclusive > reserved for certain rhetorical situations (stage soliloquies, talking to > oneself, certain oaths).
Nice. I've decided to change the distinction in the
> plural to be keyed off of whether or not a third person is included. So > first person inclusive plural would mean the speaker and listener(s) and > no > one else, while first person exclusive plural would mean the speaker, at > least one person neither the speaker or a listener, and possibly also the > listener(s).
Inclusive is clear: I/we and you (sg.or pl.) but no others. (This would be Indonesian kita). This might develop from an original dual "you and I". Also clear, the Indo. exclusive kami (I/we and others, but not you sg/pl). Perhaps originally < he/they and I. I'm having trouble conceiving a situation where your "exclusive" (I/we and others, and you) would be used. Wouldn't this just be a general "plural"? Just "we all". Could you give an example?

Replies

<veritosproject@...>
Dennis Paul Himes <himes@...>