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Start ::  Cornwall24 Discussion ::  Cornish Language, Culture and History ::  2nd person singular / plural
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2nd person singular / plural
Panini Posted: 08.06.2007, 10:42

Panini

registered: Jun. 2007
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last visit: 20.05.08 		In what circumstances were the 2nd person singular and the 2nd person plural used in historical Cornish? Is it true that God is always addressed with 2nd person singular in the historical texts?

How do Cornish speakers use these two forms today?
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FlammNew Posted: 08.06.2007, 11:19

FlammNew

registered: Mar. 2006
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last visit: 27.03.08 		I use 2s when referring to one person and 2p when referring to more than one person. 2p was used when talking to someone respectfully, but it's rare in modern usage.

I can't say about references to God or other mythical beings, others here may know the answer.


dukkha-samudaya-nirodha-magga
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Fulub-le-Breton Posted: 08.06.2007, 12:01

Fulub-le-Breton

registered: Sep. 2004
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last visit: 12.10.08 		In Breton there is a question of the informal 'you'(te) and the polite formal 'you'(c'hwi), a little like in french but the rules of use are different.

The Cornish Democrat
The Breton Connection
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Bardh Posted: 08.06.2007, 21:25

Bardh

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last visit: 12.10.08 		My clear impression is that, as in many languages, the familiar form is becoming normal in the singular. I can only think of two or three people who persist in addressing one person as several.
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goky Posted: 08.06.2007, 22:38

goky

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Quotecan't say about references to God or other mythical beings, others here may know the answer


So how do we address Ninja??

Blog Goky
pyth yw 'Agan Tavas"?, Agan Tavas yw Eddie Climo.
Agan Taves Worldwide, hunky Cornish speakers, klickeugh below
Agan Taves Nowyth
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morvyl Posted: 09.06.2007, 00:16

morvyl

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PaniniIn what circumstances were the 2nd person singular and the 2nd person plural used in historical Cornish? Is it true that God is always addressed with 2nd person singular in the historical texts?

How do Cornish speakers use these two forms today?


Today, Cornish speakers mostly use the 2sg. form for addressing one person and the 2pl. for addressing more than one person. Speakers of Revived Late Cornish (RLC) have a greater tendency to use 2pl. for one person. This reflects the tendency in the later period of the language for the 2pl. to spread. It appears to have been used between marriage partners. Maybe it spread analogously (if later) to the spread of English 'you' vs. 'thou'.
God was always addressed with the 2sg. Subordinates were also occasionally addressed with 2sg. but then again we can see switches to the 2pl. within the same sentence in the story 'Jowan Chy an Hordh', so there appears to have been some confusion.
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Laghyades Posted: 09.06.2007, 02:51

Laghyades

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last visit: 26.09.08 		One time, many moons ago, I was learning Russian. In Russian, the 2nd person singular is 'ti' and the plural is 'vi'. (Close enough without using Cyrillics). Anyway, 'ti' is the the 'familiar' and 'vi' is the formal. The older Russian folks are very, very picky about you using the correct one. I remember one time, a male student using the familiar pronoun 'ti' instead of the formal 'vi' to an elderly Russian gentleman. His response was "'Ti'?! Why do you say to me 'ti' ?! Did we at some time piss together in the same place?!"

Laghyades

R-E-V-R-O-N-S,
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morvran Posted: 09.06.2007, 02:59

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goky
Quotecan't say about references to God or other mythical beings, others here may know the answer


God himself being a trinity is very confused in the plays as to whether he's a ni or a my, so what hope is there for the rest of us?

QuoteSo how do we address Ninja??


Nynz a^ an Ninja neb-pell -- a'm govis
Ow mage vil gewsel
Y'n kur foll gwann-wikkor fell
Y fyls an Yeth ha fyllel
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Bardh Posted: 09.06.2007, 08:53

Bardh

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last visit: 12.10.08 		With the post code.
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