Honorific/respect use of 1pl prons as 2sg

[Erik Zobel]

Languages that have an inclusive/exclusive distinction and use the
1.pl.incl. as polite address are found all over Sulawesi, among others:
Mandar, Pattae', Luwu' (Tae'), Muna, (coastal) Saluan, Buol.

This use is chiefly found in languages close to the coast, with long
contact to Buginese or Malay. More indigenous to Sulawesi seems to be the
honorific use of the plural in second and third person, as found in
Kaili, Pamona, Mori, Bungku, Balantak.

A note on Buginese:

Unlike often stated, Buginese and Makassarese do distinguish between
inclusive/exclusive. Their system is best described in terms of reference
to SPeaker and ADdressee:

In informal address, the system is:

.                Makassar  Bugis
1    [+SP,-AD]   nakke      ia'
1+2  [+SP,+AD]   katte      idi'
2    [-SP,+AD]   kau        iko
3    [-SP,-AD]   ia         alena

There is no number distinction, that means each pronoun can be used
minimally or non-minmally. E.g., nakke/ia' can mean both "I" and "we(excl.)".

In respectful address, one uses:

.                 Makassaar  Bugis
1     [+SP,-AD]   nakke      ia'
1+2,2 [(SP),+AD]  katte      idi'
3     [-SP,-AD]   ia         alena

Here, kau/iko have been removed from the system, with katte/idi' filling
the slot. That means, katte/idi' optionally refers to the speaker, but
always includes reference to the addressee.

The latter kind of address is also often used in talking to small
children, "in order to teach them to speak 'halus'", according to common
Makassarese and Buginese interpretation.


Erik Zobel