Dative Pronouns

[Jim Rader]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
In regard to John Hewson's comment about <'un> and Old English
<hine>, excerpted below from his longer message on dative pronouns:  I
should point out that the survival of <hine> has been argued against
fairly persuasively by Derek Britton in _Notes and Queries_ of March,
1994.  Britton believes <'un> can be better explained as a reduction
of <him>.
 
Jim Rader
 
 
>
>                 3.      He sees I, and I sees HE, and I says to 'un...
>
> Here 'un is a direct descendant of OE masc. sg. acc. "hine", which became
> generalized for both acc. and dative usage in Wessex. Where the verb is
> stressed, one would normally get, consequently
>
>                 4.      I SEES 'un
>
>
> John Hewson, FRSC                               tel: (709)737-8131
> University Research Professor                   fax: (709)737-4000
> Memorial University of Newfoundland
> St. John's NF, CANADA A1B 3X9
>