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<TITLE>Re: Summary: number in personal pronouns</TITLE>
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Dear Steven,<BR>
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You're right, of course. I originally wrote "working-class and rural" but that seemed a bit patronizing and I decided to simplify it... (Is your family neither?) What is interesting is, I hear people addressing each other this way when no children are around (who are now adults and out of the house in any case). I wonder if it correlates in any way with "large" families? With level of education?<BR>
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While I'm at it, it should also be noted that in Hindi and other Indian languages, a woman who has had a son is thenceforth referred to and addressed (and honored?) as "X's mother". A recognition, no doubt, that she has fulfilled her most important duty in life. (I'm not sure if a daughter merits the same recognition. Let me do some checking...)<BR>
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Meanwhile, I'm sure everyone knows about the strict taboo (in Northern Hindu India, at any rate) on a married woman's speaking her husband's name. (He might drop dead or something if she did -- would certainly be gravely dishonored. Why?) There are various ways of getting around this, perhaps most commonly, just "Him" (honorific plural, of course). Also, "X's father" -- unless I am getting that mixed up with colloquial American!<BR>
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What about Taiwan Chinese, Steven? (Both topics...)<BR>
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Colin <BR>
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<B>From: </B>Steven Schaufele <fcosw5@MAIL.SCU.EDU.TW><BR>
<B>Reply-To: </B>Steven Schaufele <fcosw5@MAIL.SCU.EDU.TW><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Wed, 23 Apr 2003 13:58:58 +0800<BR>
<B>To: </B>LINGTYP@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG<BR>
<B>Subject: </B>Re: Summary: number in personal pronouns<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE>Colin Masica writes,<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE>I don't know if anyone has pointed this out yet, but if not it is time someone did: it is not only in Russian, African & Australian languages, etc. that wives and husbands are referred to as "mother" and "father" by their spouses -- but also, and quite normally, in rural American English! (I just heard it again last night...)<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE>To which my response is: What you mean *rural*??? My family isn't exactly rural, and we've been doing this for as long as i can remember! At least, my parents referred to each other, addressed each other, etc. as `Mom' and `Dad' all the time i was growing up. Now that both their children are grown, i *think* they've *started* reverting to addressing each other by their names.<BR>
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Best,<BR>
Steven<BR>
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Steven Schaufele, Ph.D.<BR>
Asst. Prof. Linguistics, English Dept.<BR>
Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan<BR>
(886)(02)2881-9471 ext. 6504 (O)<BR>
(886)(02)2835-6966 (H)<BR>
fcosw5@mail.scu.edu.tw<BR>
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