Usage
In English, there are two reciprocal pronouns: “each other” and “one another”. Reciprocal pronouns express that each one of two or more objects relates to the other(s) in exactly the same way as they relate to it. For example, in the sentence “the two lovers kissed each other”, the “each other” expresses that each one of the lovers kissed the other. It really is as simple as that.
In English.
In Cenyani, there are several different reciprocal pronouns (four in total) with subtle variations in meaning. The reciprocal pronouns in Cenyani do not only encode the reciprocal relationship between things, but also to some extent describe which things are being referred to. One curious aspect of reciprocal pronouns is that there is a distinction between dual and plural number, which is entirely absent from the rest of the language.
Another curious aspect of reciprocal pronouns is that, in the accusative, they are almost never separate words: instead, they exist as suffixes on the verb. This is the one single remnant of the personal conjugation the Cenyani language used to employ long ago (within the context of its fictional world). Reciprocal pronouns in all other cases are separate words; and in the genitive, if a reciprocal pronoun ever needs to be independent, it behaves exactly like a possessive pronoun. Noun cases are described in nouns.
If ever a reciprocal pronoun needs to be used with an adposition, the detached accusative form is used (there are no nominative forms), and the adposition must be detached. Do see the adpositions page for more details about detaching adpositions.
The four reciprocal pronouns are used thus (accusative suffix forms shown):
- -äy
- is used when the subject of the sentence (which is what reciprocal pronouns always refer back to) includes the first person; that is, if the subject is “you and I” or “he/she/it and I”. This pronoun is only used in the dual number, i.e. not for “me and them”.
- -äyi
- is the plural version of the above: “me and them” as well as “me and you-plural”. And of course any combination of second- and third-person subjects together with the first person.
- -oþ
- is used when the subject of the sentence does not include the first person; that is, when the subject is the second or third person, or some combination thereof. This is a dual-number reciprocal pronoun.
- -oþi
- is the plural version of the above.
These suffixes are put directly on the very end of the verb. These suffixes are used on verbs that end both in vowels and consonants (even if the vowel is ä or o); if the verb ends in a syllabic consonant, a -t- is inserted between the verb and the pronoun.
Actual pronouns
In all their inflected glory, there are the following reciprocal pronouns:
| acc. | dat. | exp. | gen. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -äy | -äy, äy | yäŋ | yär | äyš |
| -äyi | -äyi, äyi | yäŋi | yäri | äyiš |
| -oþ | -oþ, soroþ | soroþaŋ | soroþar | soroþaš |
| -oþi | -oþi, soroþi | soroþiŋ | soroþir | soroþiš |
It is important to note that because the reciprocal pronouns contain more information than just “each other”, it’s possible to express several small details merely by implying them with the pronouns being used. For example, the sentence mánioþ tóna could easily be translated simply as “they love each other”: máni is the present tense of man, “to love”, -oþ is “each other” and tóna is “they”. (Man refers specifically to romantic love, rather than, say, sibling love or friendship love.)
However, -oþ is a dual-number pronoun, which implies that there are only two people involved; and, furthermore, tóna is only used for groups consisting entirely of female beings. Therefore, a more accurate translation would be “the two females love each other”. The meaning of the translation suddenly changes from a generic romantic relationship between two (or more!) people, to specifically describing a romantic relationship between exactly two females. Of course, a translation as precise as this revised version may not be necessary, depending on the context.
