Lakota demonstratives

[Bruce Ingham]

With regard to the relationship between demonstratives and personal pronouns
Arabic has an element -k which stands for 2nd person object or
possessive which also shows up in as a demonstrative component
in dhaak 'that' and haak 'here it is, take it',  hiic 'thus', hnaak 'there',
which is as you relate.  Of the 3rd person however, although it is
often unmarked, the personal pronouns have an h- element hu 'he',
hi 'she', hum 'they m.' and hin 'they f.' also object pronouns -ih
'him', -ha 'her' -hum 'them m.' and -hin 'them f.', and are 'thought to
be' from old demonstratives.  The demonstratives for 'this', 'these'
etc do have an h- element too as in haadh 'this', haadhi 'this f.s.',
haadhool 'these m.', haadhalli 'these f.', hnaa 'here' also in the hiic
and haak mentioned above. (Najdi Arabic data).

Bruce

Date sent:      	Mon, 2 Apr 2001 21:08:17 EDT
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Subject:        	Re: Lakota demonstratives

Any hints that le', he', ka' might go back to very widespread triplet T, K,
KW for proximal, medial, distal (sometimes the latter two are interpreted as
distal and irrealis, out of sight, etc.)  in spatial demonstrative systems?
If so, would there be any tendency to let the distal go first hierarchically,
as there sometimes isn't any great need to let go of what isn't here and now,
in view, etc.? Many languages have 1st and 2nd personal pronouns
transparently derivative off the first two, but few (if any- none come
immediately to mind) have any from the third. Maybe its just discourse
factors, and the third/distal form tends to get lexicalized? Thoughts?

Jess Tauber
zylogy at aol.com

Dr. Bruce Ingham
Reader in Arabic Linguistic Studies
SOAS