Lakota demonstratives

[Jess Tauber]

I've been interested in the structure and function of elaborated
demonstrative systems for some time- English used to have a much fuller
system which included:

whither hither thither
whence hence thence
what     ?       that
which    ?       this
when    ?        then
where   here   there

etc.   was yonder part of the first series?  But then the lexicalized be-yond
still finds use.  Perhaps the establishment of systems of roads and increase
in less landmark-based navigation strategies are part of what drives such
elaborated spatial/temporal demonstrative systems to simpler series- just as
elaborated sets of pronominal or address terms can become reduced once rank
and face become less important in social intercourse.

Jess Tauber
zylogy at aol.com
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