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1 THEY, THEM
(3rd person pl. and dual forms): As the pronominal ending for “they”, Tolkien hesitated between -ltë and -ntë. For instance, a verb like “they do” is attested both as cariltë and carintë (VT49:16, 17). In one text, the ending -ltë is marked as archaic or poetic (VT49:17), but in other paradigms no such qualification occurs (VT49:51). The alternative form -nte- occurs in UT:317, with a second pronominal marker (-s “it”, denoting the object) following: Tiruvantes "they will keep it". General considerations of euphony may favour -ltë rather than -ntë (e.g. *quenteltë rather than *quententë for “they spoke” – in the past tense, many verbs end in -ntë even before any pronominal endings are supplied, like quentë “spoke” in this example). The ending -ltë (unlike -ntë) would also conform with the general system that the plural pronominal endings include the plural marker l (VT48:11). – In Tolkien’s early material, the ending -ltë appears as -lto instead (e.g. tulielto “they have come”, LT1:270). – A simple plural verb (with ending -r) can have “they” as its implied subject, as in the example quetir en “they still say” (PE17:167). – In the independent pronouns, distinct forms of may be used depending on whether “they, them” refers to living beings (persons, animals or even plants) or to non-living things or abstracts. The “personal” independent pronoun is te, which may have a long vowel when stressed (té, VT49:51). It is also attested in object position (laita te “bless them”, LotR:989 cf. Letters:308, VT43:20). It can receive case endings, e.g. dative ten (VT49:14; variant forms téna and tien, VT49:14, VT43:12, 21). As the “impersonal” they, them referring to non-living things, Tolkien in some sources used ta (VT43:20; 8, 9), but this apparently caused dissatisfaction because he also wanted ta to be the singular pronoun “that, it”. According to VT49:32, the form tai was introduced as the word for impersonal or inanimate “they, them” (in some places changed to te, apparently suggesting that Tolkien considered using te for both personal and impersonal “they/them”, abandoning the distinction). Another source (VT49:51) lists sa as the pl. impersonal form, but all other published sources use this pronoun for singular impersonal “it”, not pl. “they”. – The object “them” can also be expressed by the ending -t following another pronominal suffix (laituvalmet, “we shall bless [or praise] them", LotR:989 cf Letters:308). Presumably this ending -t makes no distinction between personal and impersonal forms. – Quenya also possesses special dual forms of “they, them”, used where only two persons or things are referred to (none of these pronouns distinguish between personal and impersonal forms). In VT49:16, the old ending for dual “they” is given as -stë (marked as archaic or poetic), but this would clash with the corresponding 2nd person ending. According to VT49:51, this ending was changed (also within the imaginary world) from -stë to -ttë, which seems the better alternative (*carittë, “the two of them do”). The independent dual pronoun is given as tú (ibid.) However, it may also be permissible to use te for “they, them” even where only two persons are involved (te is seemingly used with reference to Frodo and Sam in one of the examples above, laita te “bless them”). – Genitive forms, see THEIR; reflexive pronoun, see THEMSELVES.
См. также в других словарях:
Inanimate — In*an i*mate, a. [L. inanimatus; pref. in not + animatus animate.] Not animate; destitute of life or spirit; lifeless; dead; inactive; dull; as, stones and earth are inanimate substances. [1913 Webster] Grieving, if aught inanimate e er grieves.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Inanimate — In*an i*mate, v. t. [Pref. in in (or intensively) + animate.] To animate. [Obs.] Donne. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
inanimate — index inactive, insensible, lifeless (dead), torpid Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
inanimate — (adj.) early 15c., from L.L. inanimatus lifeless, from in not (see IN (Cf. in ) (1)) + animatus (see ANIMATION (Cf. animation)). The same word in 17c. also was a verb meaning to infuse with life, from the other in (see IN (Cf. in ) (2)) … Etymology dictionary
inanimate — lifeless, *dead, defunct, deceased, departed, late Analogous words: inert, inactive Antonyms: animate Contrasted words: *living, alive … New Dictionary of Synonyms
inanimate — [adj] not alive, not organic azoic, cold, dead, defunct, dull, exanimate, extinct, idle, inactive, inert, inoperative, insensate, insentient, lifeless, mineral, motionless, nonanimal, nonvegetable, quiescent, soulless, spiritless; concept 539 Ant … New thesaurus
inanimate — ► ADJECTIVE 1) not alive, especially not in the manner of animals and humans. 2) showing no sign of life; lifeless … English terms dictionary
inanimate — [in an′ə mit] adj. [LL inanimatus] 1. not animate; not endowed with (animal) life 2. not animated; dull; spiritless SYN. DEAD inanimately adv. inanimateness n. inanimation … English World dictionary
inanimate — adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin inanimatus, from Latin in + animatus, past participle of animare to animate Date: 15th century 1. not animate: a. not endowed with life or spirit < an inanimate object > b. lacking… … New Collegiate Dictionary
inanimate — [[t]ɪnæ̱nɪmət[/t]] ADJ An inanimate object is one that has no life. He thinks that inanimate objects have a life of their own. Ant: animate … English dictionary
inanimate — 1. adjective /ɪnˈænɪmət/ a) Lacking the quality or ability of motion; as an inanimate object. b) Not being, and never having been alive. Ant: animate 2. noun /ɪnˈænɪmət/ … Wiktionary
