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.
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).
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.
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.