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Indefinites

Page history last edited by David 14 years, 4 months ago

Simple indefinites, formed by suffixing the particle -hun to forms of ƕas 'who', manna 'man', and áins 'one', occur only in negated constructions. See the section on Negatives.

A general indefinite, akin to Modern English 'whosoever, whoever', is formed by the combinations ƕazuh saei, saƕazuh saei, and saƕazuh izei. These occur only in the nominative singular masculine. The neuter counterpart, þataƕah þei 'whatsoever', occurs only in the accusative singular. Indefinites of similar meaning are formed by prefixing þis (genitive of þata) to forms of ƕazuh. These are followed by the relative saei, or by þei. The attested forms are as follows.

 

Singular
þisƕazuh saei whosoever Masculine Neuter
N
þizhwasuh saei þizhwah þei
A þizhwanóh saei þizhwah þei
G   þizhwisuh þei
D þizhwammeh saei þizhwammeh þei

 

The form þatei occasionally replaces þei in the neuter. No feminine forms occur.

áin- 'one, anyone, a certain one' always declines according to the strong declension of blinds (Section 13.1), e.g. masc. N sg. áins, pl. áinái; neut. N sg. áin(ata), pl. áina; fem. N sg. áina, pl. áinos. The plural forms are used in the sense 'only, alone'. Note correlated structures: áins... jah áins 'the one... and the other'.

all- 'all, every, whole' always declines according to the strong declension of blinds, e.g. masc. N sg. alls, pl. allái; neut. N sg. all(ata), pl. alla; fem. N sg. alla, pl. allos.

anþar- 'second, other' always declines according to the strong declension of blinds, though the neuter N sg. never takes the pronominal ending -ata. For example, masc. N sg. anþar (cf. Section 6.2.2), pl. anþarái; neut. N sg. anþar, pl. anþara; fem. N sg. anþara, pl. anþaro.

sum- 'some one, a certain one' always declines according to the strong declension of blinds, e.g. masc. N sg. sums, pl. sumái; neut. N sg. sum(ata), pl. suma; fem. N sg. suma, pl. sumos. Forms of this pronoun are often repeated in correlated structures: sums... sums 'the one... the other'. The particle -uh is frequently suffixed to the second member of such constructions, and occasionally to both members: sumái(h)... sumáih 'some... and others' (masc. nom. pl.).

 

http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/gotol-4-X.html#Got04_GP18

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