The Demonstratives and The Definite Article
Generally, the demonstratives could be used as deictic adjectives, or in a substantival function as demonstrative pronouns. The most common demonstrative pronoun is sa, þata, só. In the role of adjective, it may point to something proximal 'this', or distal 'that' from the perspective of the speaker. In a less explicit sense, the demonstrative is used as the basic definite article 'the'. As pronouns, the same forms may translate as 'this one' or 'that one'.
SINGULAR
|
masculine |
neuter |
feminine |
N |
sa |
þata |
só |
A |
þana |
þata |
só |
G |
þis |
þis |
þisos |
D |
þamm |
þamm |
þisái |
PLURAL
|
masculine |
neuter |
feminine |
N |
þái |
þó |
þós |
A |
þans |
þó |
þós |
G |
þise |
þise |
þiso |
D |
þáim |
þáim |
þáim |
The final a of þata is often elided before ist: þat' ist. A neuter instrumental singular is preserved in certain phrases and as part of some conjunctions: ni þe haldis 'none the more'; bi-þe 'while'; jaþ-þe 'and if'; du-þe 'therefore'; þe-ei 'that'. A locative or instrumental form survives as the relative particle þei 'that'.
The emphatic demonstrative sah, þatuh, þōh 'that, that in particular, that especially' is formed by adding the enclitic -uh to the forms of sa, þata, sō. This demonstrative expresses not only emphasis, but contrast as well. The attested forms are as follows.
SINGULAR
|
Masculine
|
Neuter
|
Feminine
|
N |
sah |
þatuh |
sóh |
A
|
þanuh
|
þatuh
|
|
G
|
þizuh
|
þizuh
|
|
D
|
þammuh
|
þammuh
|
|
PLURAL
|
Masculine
|
Neuter
|
Feminine
|
N
|
þáih
|
|
|
A
|
þanzuh
|
þóh
|
|
G
|
|
|
|
D
|
|
þáimuh
|
|
When the simple pronoun ends in -a, the -a is elided before the following -u, except in the nominative singular masculine (that is, weakly stressed -a is lost). When the simple pronoun ends in a long vowel or diphthong, the following -u is elided. Final -s changes to -z before -uh. The instrumental occurs in the adverb bi-þeh 'after that, then afterward'.
There are remnants of a demonstrative built to the stem hi-. These are confined, for the most part, to a small number of temporal adverbial phrases: himma daga 'on this day, today'; und hina daga 'to this day'; fram himma 'henceforth'; und hita (nu) 'till now, hitherto'; also hidrē 'to here'.
The demonstrative jáins 'that, that there, yon' declines as a strong adjective (the nom. and acc. pl. neut. is always jáinata). The demonstratives silba 'self' and sama 'same' decline as weak adjectives.
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/gotol-3-X.html#Got03_GP12
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