Summary: number in personal pronouns

[Leon Stassen]

At 16:10 22-4-03 -0500, Colin Masica wrote:
>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...)
>
>Colin Masica

And, for that matter, in rural Southern Dutch, and quite possibly in other
parts of the Dutch-speaking world... I know that my parents did this. My
impression is that it is gradually going out of style, though, possibly
because, nowadays, not even children tend to refer to their parents as "Mom
"or "Dad"; they use the first names instead.

Leon Stassen.
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