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A question about Hindi pronouns

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A question about Hindi pronouns Empty A question about Hindi pronouns

Post by Idéfix Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:28 am

This occurred to me while I was listening to some ghazals over the weekend. It is about pronouns in Hindi.

First person - second person
Singular: main - tum
Plural: ham - aap

Now, it occurs to me that ham is from Sanskrit aham, and tum from Sanskrit tvam. I don't know what the origins of main and aap are. Why is it that in first person, the Sanskrit-derived ham is plural, while in second person the Sanskrit-derived tum is singular?
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A question about Hindi pronouns Empty Re: A question about Hindi pronouns

Post by Seva Lamberdar Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:21 am

panini press wrote: This occurred to me while I was listening to some ghazals over the weekend. It is about pronouns in Hindi.

First person - second person
Singular: main - tum
Plural: ham - aap

Now, it occurs to me that ham is from Sanskrit aham, and tum from Sanskrit tvam. I don't know what the origins of main and aap are. Why is it that in first person, the Sanskrit-derived ham is plural, while in second person the Sanskrit-derived tum is singular?

The origins of "main" and "aap", especially the former, may be rooted in the case formations of "aham" and "tvam", respectively. "Myam" (a case formation of "aham") could have led to "main". Similarly, "tvam" has plural cases in the form of "yuvam" ("yuyum") etc.
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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bYp0igbxHcmg1G1J-qw0VUBSn7Fu

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A question about Hindi pronouns Empty Re: A question about Hindi pronouns

Post by Idéfix Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:28 pm

Yeah, main from mAm/mayA or other cases makes sense. I still can't imagine where aap came from.
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Post by Seva Lamberdar Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:31 am

panini press wrote:Yeah, main from mAm/mayA or other cases makes sense. I still can't imagine where aap came from.

“aap” (as you) probably evolved from the colloquial use of “abham” or “aabham” (dual form of “aham”, and “aabh” leading to “aap”) which represents the combination of first person (I) and second person (tu or you) as us or we. Note, the forms “aapun” and “apana”, closely related to “aap” (you), are still used in reference to I or me (the first person).
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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bYp0igbxHcmg1G1J-qw0VUBSn7Fu

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