Indexical pronouns: Generic uses as clues to their structure

Abstract

This paper explores the idea that first and second person indexical pronouns have one common identical source based on an index. This approach derives the distinction between hearer and speaker by means of spatio-temporal anchoring of the indexical base to the utterance context. Accordingly, it is argued that the deictic category person is nonatomic but dependent on spatial (and temporal) deixes. Evidence is drawn from data concerning various types of second person pronouns and their interpretation. It will be shown that the generic use of second person pronouns available in a large number of languages underlies specific morphosyntactic restrictions that have so far remained undiscussed in the relevant literature that mainly sought a purely semantic account of the phenomenon (Alonso-Ovalle 2002; Malamud 2007). Based on a number of IndoEuropean languages, it will be shown that certain contexts require the indexical to be temporally anchored to the utterance context giving rise to a strictly indexical interpretation. Generic interpretations are available if the indexical is only spatially but not temporally anchored.

Nominal speech act structure: Evidence from the structural deficiency of impersonal pronouns

“…A first indication that it is indeed structurally deficient comes from differences in the interpretation possibilities of strong and weak 2 nd person pronouns in Dutch. As first discussed by Gruber (2013), the weak version may be interpreted as either a personal or an impersonal pronoun, but the strong version is necessarily personal, as illustrated below. …”

“You” speaks to me: Effects of generic-you in creating resonance between people and ideas

“…The ability to frame an idea as general rather than specific is a universal feature of language ( 12 – 15 ). One frequently used device is the generic usage of the pronoun “you” ( 15 – 17 ). Although “you” is often used to refer to a specific person or persons (e.g., “How did you get to work today?”), in many languages, it can also be used to refer to people in general (e.g., “You avoid rush hour if you can.”).…”

Impersonally Interpreted Personal Pronouns

“…The aim of this entire section is to get an understanding of the semantic contribution of the impersonal use of ich and du by comparing the impersonal uses to the impersonal pronoun man and the corresponding referential uses. The following discussion also includes observations and insights from Gruber (2011) and Malamud (2007Malamud ( , 2012, who also investigate impersonally used German second person singular du, and from Kitagawa and Lehrer (1990) and Malamud (2006Malamud ( , 2007Malamud ( , 2012 on English impersonally used you. 9…”

“…The following is a non-exhaustive list of attested impersonal uses of second person singular pronouns in various Indoeuropean languages that were discussed in recent formal and descriptive literature (e.g. Bennis 2004;Egerland 2003;Gruber 2011;Kluge 2012;Malamud 2006Malamud , 2007Malamud , 2012Siewierska 2004;Zeijlstra 2008). 5…”

“…work like a slave.' (Alonso-Ovalle 2000:4) In addition to the languages given here, Siewierska (2004) and Gruber (2011) list e.g. Afrikaans, Romanian, Greek, Mandarin Chinese, Indonesian, Cree, Godi, Gulf Arabic, Hindi, Kashmiri, Koromfe, Koyra Chin, and Kurdish (among others) as languages that allow an impersonal use for second person singular pronouns.…”