Universal #1447

Legacy number: 1447

 Number  1443
 Original  In an overwhelming majority of languages, if some form denotes the metaperson 'speaker', it cannot include among its meanings the following metapersons:
(a) 'speaker + hearer(s)' and/or 'speaker + non-participant(s)',
(b) 'speaker + hearer(s) + non-participant(s)'.
 Standardized  IF some form denotes the metaperson 'speaker', THEN it cannot include among its meanings the following metapersons:
(a) 'speaker+hearer(s)' and/or 'speaker + non-participant(s)',
(b) 'speaker+hearer(s) + non-participant(s)'.
 Keywords  personal pronoun, speaker, hearer, non-participant
 Domain  inflection, syntax, lexicon
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  400 world-wide distributed languages, see Sokolovskaja 1980: 98-99; Sokolovskaja surveyed systems of independent personal pronouns only.
 Source  Sokolovskaja 1980: 90, U 5

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Discussion
Counterexamples
Kawi (=Old Javanese), Javanese (both Sundic, W. Malayo-Polynesian), Nimboran (Trans-New Guinea) (Sokolovskaja 1980); Aymara, Jaqaru (Andean) (EF). In all these languages, personal pronominal forms are not specified for number, i.e. the form X can be used referring to a single speaker as well as to a group including the speaker. E.g. Aymaran NAYA (NA) means ‘I, we but not you’. (For details see Hardman-de-Bautista 1974: 32-3, Hardman 1966);Marind (Trans-New Guinea), where number is differentiated in all persons but 1st (for details see Drabbe 1955 [Boelaars 1950: 2]) (EF).
Notes
1. Sokolovskaja recognizes the following metapersons:'speaker', 'hearer', 'non-participant', 'speaker + hearer(s)', 'speaker + non-participant(s)', 'hearer(s) + non-participant(s)', and 'speaker + hearer(s) + non-participant(s). 2. The form denoting metaperson 'speaker' can include among its meanings the metaperson 'speaker + hearer(s) + non-participant(s)' if and only if this form also denotes metaperson 'speaker + hearer(s)' (cf. U 22).3. Cf. #1448.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. Sokolovskaja recognizes the following metapersons: 'speaker', 'hearer', 'non-participant', 'speaker + hearer(s)', 'speaker + non-participant(s)', 'hearer(s) + non-participant(s)', and 'speaker + hearer(s) + non-participant(s).

2. The form denoting metaperson 'speaker' can include among its meanings the metaperson 'speaker + hearer(s) + non-participant(s)' if and only if this form also denotes metaperson 'speaker + hearer(s)' (cf. U 22).

3. Cf. <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1448"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">