Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site abnji.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!mhuxv!abnji!nyssa
From: nyssa@abnji.UUCP (nyssa of traken)
Newsgroups: net.singles,net.nlang
Subject: Re: Second Person Plural
Message-ID: <845@abnji.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Sep-85 07:36:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: abnji.845
Posted: Tue Sep  3 07:36:30 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Sep-85 06:39:43 EDT
References: <1634@qubix.UUCP>
Organization: Terminus Hospital, Incorporated
Lines: 19
Xref: watmath net.singles:9088 net.nlang:3536

>> Actually English *does* have a second person plural: it's "you."
>
>    Historically, yes. But presently, "you" functions primarily as
>2nd person singular.

As does "vous" in French, "Sie" in German, "Vuy" in Russian, etc.

What my arguement is that English has lost the second person
"friendly" in "Thou", and that we always use the "formal" "you".

Perhaps the English speaking world would be more relaxed with the
friendly "thou"?  Nah....
-- 
James C. Armstrong, Jnr.	{ihnp4,cbosgd,akgua}!abnji!nyssa

Maybe they'll want one of your women to experiment on, perhaps
I shall take this one to them!

-who said it, what story?  (Get the reply to me by Thursday!)