LL-L: "Pronouns" LOWLANDS-L, 23.JUN.2001 (02) [E]

[R. F. Hahn]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 23.JUN.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 Rules: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/rules.html>
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Server Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
=======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic, Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

From: "Richard Dury" <richard at interac.it>
Subject: Dutch pronouns of address in Flanders

Dear Lowlanders,

I would very much appreciate any help from linguists on the following
point:

Marijke van der Wal in the *Geschiedenis van het Nederlands* says that
speakers of Flemish, with only one singular pronoun of address (gij), came
into contact with standard Dutch after the Second World War and with its
polite pronoun (u). Since they met with standard Dutch only in formal
situations some of them overgeneralized the use of u (assumed that standard

Dutch only had this one pronoun of address), and some Flemish
mothers started to use this pronoun even to their children (Wal  1992:
407-8).  Wal
cites an article by Deprez/Geerts (1980).
Have there been any other studies of this phenomenon (use of *u* to
children in Belgium)?

I ask because I'm interested in the disappearance of *thou* in English and
it might have been partly caused by a similar sociolinguistic situation.

Richard Dury
richard at interac.it

==================================END===================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
=======================================================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
=======================================================================