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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] We and us

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
  • To: David Kummerow <farmerjoeblo AT hotmail.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] We and us
  • Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 14:04:43 +0000

On 15/11/2006 23:03, David Kummerow wrote:
Sure the grammaticalisation of "you" is irreversible. ... Your statement betrays an ignorance of these things which further reading could help to alleviate (again, I can supply you with the references if you don't personally have access to such things).

Your statement betrays a failure to read what I wrote. I wasn't referring to English "you", but to for example French "vous" and German "Sie". The time may come when these are no longer used as polite alternatives to "tu" and "du" respectively, but revert to being second and third person respectively plural pronouns. This process is already in progress. It is more advanced in Azerbaijani, where the plural used to be used for the singular as in French but is becoming quite rare. Would the loss of such usage, if it happened, be reversal of grammaticalisation and so falsify anyone's theory?

--
Peter Kirk
E-mail: peter AT qaya.org
Blog: http://speakertruth.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/





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