Summary: number in personal pronouns

[Colin P Masica]

Dear Steven,

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?

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...)

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!

What about Taiwan Chinese, Steven? (Both topics...)

Colin

From: Steven Schaufele <fcosw5 at MAIL.SCU.EDU.TW>
Reply-To: Steven Schaufele <fcosw5 at MAIL.SCU.EDU.TW>
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 13:58:58 +0800
To: LINGTYP at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
Subject: Re: Summary: number in personal pronouns


Colin Masica writes,
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...)
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.

Best,
Steven

Steven Schaufele, Ph.D.
Asst. Prof. Linguistics, English Dept.
Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan
(886)(02)2881-9471 ext. 6504 (O)
(886)(02)2835-6966 (H)
fcosw5 at mail.scu.edu.tw



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