case and number in pronouns

[Chirkova, K.]

Dear Henning,

>Does anyone know of comparable usages of personal pronouns in other
>languages, i.e. where inclusive, exclusive or plural pronouns can have
>singular reference when they are used as modifiers?

In Peking Mandarin (and in Mandarin in general), it is very standard to use
both the inclusive (_zan2_, _za2men_) and the exclusive (_wo3men_) plural
first person pronouns for singular reference. For instance, when speaking
about family members, e.g. _wo3men lao3 tai4tai_ 'our/my old mother', or
when referring to the speaker himself, e.g. _zan2 qiong2._ 'I am poor.'.

Note also that honorific forms for second and third person pronoun in Peking
Mandarin, _nin2_ 'you' and _tan1_ 'he', are derived from plural second and
third personal pronouns _ni3men_ and _ta1men_ respectively. One can also use
the plural second person pronoun _ni3men_ when referring to the listener,
just like in your example from Southern Min.

Finally, the inclusive plural first person pronoun _zan2_, _za2men_ can be
used when addressing the listener(s) (in the meaning 'you'). For this usage
see Yuen Ren Chao, _A grammar of spoken Chinese_ (1968: 638). The same usage
is common in Russian, e.g. a doctor addressing his patient _Kak nashi dela?_
'How is it going (with you)?', literally 'How are our matters?'

The usage of the possessive pronoun _our_ with names of family members in
non-standard varieties of English, noted by Bernard Comrie, reminds me of a
similar use of the possessive pronoun _onze_ 'our' in Brabant Dutch. When
speaking about family members (parents, siblings, children), one tends to
add "onze" 'our', e.g. "onze Martijn" 'our Martijn'.

Katia Chirkova


====================

Katia Chirkova
Leiden University
Research School CNWS
Nonnensteeg 1-3
P.O. Box 9515
2300 RA Leiden
The Netherlands
K.Chirkova at let.leidenuniv.nl
http://www.let.leidenuniv.nl/chirkova/