Re: Gzarondan vindicated.

--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Henrik Theiling <theiling@A...> wrote:

> Using the real pronoun in spoken language often sounds
> very awkward to me, like using the wrong register (namely, written
> German).  The rule applies to the whole set of articles/pronouns in
> all cases, gender and number:
>
>   Der          hat der          den          schon   gegeben.
>   The-m-sg-NOM has the-f-sg-DAT the-m-sg-ACC already given
>   He           has to-her       him          already given
>   'He has already given it to her.'
Now *that* sounds strange to me...  probably because we
Swiss know High German chiefly in formal functions.  Though
even in colloquial settings like German colleagues chatting
or "TV Total", I wouldn't have noticed that effect.

My confusion might also stem from the fact that Swiss German
does not reflect this feature.  Using /dE:/ rather than /E:r/
(usually /@r/) would have a demonstrative meaning.

Er hät s ire scho ggëë. [@r hats ir@ So kE:]
"He has already given it to her."

Dëë hät s ire scho ggëë. [dE: hats ir@ So kE:]
"That one has already given it to her."

Using the demonstrative rather than the pronoun can also
convey a pejorative meaning, maybe because you would also
use the demonstrative together with an expletive noun:

...und dëë macht s eifach kabutt. [untE: mAXts ajfAX kXAbut]
...und dëë Häneseckel macht s eifach kabutt. [untE: han@sekX@l
     mAXts ajfAX kXAbut]
"...and then that [s.o.b.] destroys it just like that."



-- Christian Thalmann