o yis     Pronouns

O Yis has a system of personal pronouns that distinguish between 'self' and 'other'. Pronouns demonstrate number and change according to their grammatical case; there are five cases: nominative, accusative, genitive, oblique and reflexive.

The 'self' pronouns are first person pronouns; they are used when the speaker includes themselves in the pronoun's scope: the singular is used for I. In more delicate or formal situations the speaker may choose not to use a pronoun, but rather refer to themselves using an epithet phrase: yr te (this person); tin reden (this friend); tin tyrpo (this helper/servant).

The paucal 'self' pronoun (we; you and I) is inclusive in nature: the speaker includes the listener(s) in the pronoun's scope. By contrast, the plural 'self' pronoun (we many; us but not you) is exclusive - in that the person being addressed is specifically excluded from the pronoun's scope.

For the most part, the 'other' pronouns are used for second person (you), though they can be extended to third person objects (he, she, it, they) in more informal registers of speech - particularly for people, spiritual entities, pets, and (with children) anthropomorphised toys. In such situations the speaker and listener will rely on the context of the ongoing discourse to help distinguish between second and third person objects.

Where nominative, accusative or reflexive pronouns are used, they are generally placed before the verb in a clause. Genetive pronouns always follow the object they possess; oblique pronouns tend to follow any nominative and accusative nouns in the clause and always require an associated postposition.

Pseudo-pronouns

Rather than using a separate set of third person pronouns - particularly in more formal registers of speech - O Yis speakers will use a mixture of honorifics (for proper nouns) and pronominal articles (for common nouns) to act as pseudo-pronouns referencing objects previously mentioned in the discourse. When used as such, these pseudo-pronouns are permitted to move ahead of the noun - particularly in more informal situations. Some dialects, including the Ma Ladz standard dialect, only permit subject pseudo-pronouns to move ahead of the verb.

• Xuurag hauk vollo in harf
• úrag hauk vollo in harf
• uˑɾæg hæuk wɔlːɔ in hæɾf
• I see the dog

• Xuurag hauk vollo in harf ucem
• úrag hauk vollo in harf ucem
• uˑɾæg hæuk wɔlːɔ in hæɾf usəm
• I see your dog

• Xuurag uceg hauk vollo
• úrag uceg hauk vollo
• uˑɾæg usəg hæuk wɔlːɔ
• I see you

• Xhauk vollo ze ru in harf
• hauk vollo ze ru in harf
• hæuk wɔlːɔ ʒə ɾu in hæɾf
• the boy sees the dog

• Xze hauk vollo laN
• ze hauk vollo laŋ
• ʒə hæuk wɔlːɔ læŋ
• he (the boy) sees it (the dog)

• Xhiic cnake rec rean Tim Daan ni gael ze maa ucem igly
• híc cnake rec rean tzim dzán ni gael ze má ucem igly
• hiˑs snækə ɾəs ɾəæn ʧim ʤæˑn ni gæəl ʒə mæˑ usəm iglɐ
• Jane could have written a note to her mother

• XTim hiic cnake rec rean nil le igly
• tzim híc cnake rec rean nil le igly
• ʧim hiˑs snækə ɾəs ɾəæn nil lə iglɐ
• she (Jane) could have written it (the letter) to her (her mother)