padma Page 1 of 12 9. Pronouns –I : Personal and Demonstrative A pronoun is a word used in the place of one or more nouns. Pronouns are of seven types: personal, reflexive, intensive, relative, interrogative, demonstrative, and indefinite. As Telugu has only two genders, masculine and non-masculine, the demonstrative pronoun has two forms in the singular, one for males and one for females, and two forms in the plural, one for male/female persons and one for animals and things. Pay attention to this distinction carefully as you read the following section. 1. Personal Pronouns Personal pronouns in Telugu come in three 'persons': First person, Second person and Third person. These pronouns are different in singular and plural numbers. It is very important to remember that third person plural personal pronouns are routinely used to address individuals of higher social rank or educational status. This distinction is indicated below by the terms "familiar" and "respectful". It is very difficult to convey the subtleties of the social conventions and one only learns these conventions with experience. The pronoun used also depends upon how far the subject is from the person doing the talking. This distinction is indicated by the terms "proximate" and "remote". These permutations and combinations make this topic one of the more difficult things to master. To sort this jungle of personal pronouns and navigate through them is not a trivial exercise and may require several passes. Examples of personal pronouns (in the nominative case) are: …Telugu……… …Pronunciation in RTS…… ..Example… nEnu I ĭĪ nu-vvu you (familiar mode) Īλ¡ mE-mu we (excluding the person spoken to) Ỳẃ ma-naM we (including the person spoken to) మనం mI-ru you (respectful) ẂΊ Examples of demonstrative pronouns (in the nominative case) are: …Pronunciation in Telugu……… ..Example… RTS…… vA-Du he (familiar mode; not respectful) θ╧ adi (1) she (familiar mode; not respectful) (2) it AĈ he (neutral mode; toward a younger / equal-ranked a-ta-nu AతĪ person) A-ya-na he (respectful / toward a elder person) ఆయన A-me she (neutral) ఆẅ A-vi-Da she (respectful) ఆιడ vA-ru (1) he (respectful); (2) they (neutral) θΊ vA-LLu they (plural object; neutral in respect); θή¿ a-vi they (non-human objects) Aι These and others are now presented in various systematic categories. Illustrative examples on the use of http://geocities.com/vnagarjuna/vemuri.html?200527 3/27/2005 padma Page 2 of 12 these are given following these categorical listings. 1.1 First person: Nominative (basic stem) singular ĭĪ nE-nu I plural Ỳẃ mE-mu we (exclusive) plural మనం ma-naM we (inclusive) Examples singular ĭĪ ČĶŠ డū∑ IŔ¶Ī nE-nu gO-pi-ki Da-bbu i-ccE-nu I gave Gopi money plural Ỳẃ ČĶŠ డū∑ IŔ¶ẃ mE-nu gO-pi-ki Da-bbu i-ccE-mu We gave Gopi money plural మనం ČĶŠ డū∑ IŔ¶ం ma-naM gO-pi-ki Da-bbu i-ccEM We gave Gopi money 1.2 First Person: Possessive (oblique stem) Singular: nA my ħ singular object ħĈ nA-di mine plural object ħι nA-vi mine Plural: mA our Ẁ singular object ẀĈ mA-di our plural object Ẁι mA-vi ours Examples IĈ ħ డū∑ i-di nA Da-bbu This is my money ఈ డū∑ ħĈ I Da-bbu nA-di This money is mine ఈ Žక°Σ ħι I ku-kka-lu nA-vi These dogs are mine IĈ Ẁ డū∑ i-di mA Da-bbu This is our money Iι Ẁ Žక°Σ i-vi mA ku-kka-lu These are our dogs ఈ Žక° ẀĈ I ku-kka mA-di This dog is ours ఈ Žక°Σ Ẁι I ku-kka-lu mA-vi These dogs are ours 1.3 Second Person: (basic stem) singular nu-vvu / nI-vu you (familiar / intimate) http://geocities.com/vnagarjuna/vemuri.html?200527 3/27/2005 padma Page 3 of 12 / Īλ¡ ĩλ singular mI-ru you (respectful) ẂΊ singular ta-ma-ru you (honorific) తమΊ plural mI-ru you ẂΊ Pronoun as subject: Īλ¡ ČĶŠ డū∑ IŔ¶λ nu-vvu gO-pi-ki Da-bbu i-ccE-vu You gave money to Gopi ẂΊ ΆధŠ డū∑ IŔ¶ Ί mI-ru rA-dha-ki Da-bbu i-ccE-ru You gave money to Radha Pronoun as object: Άధ ẂŽ డū∑ Iń¶ంĈ rA-dha mI-ku Da-bbu i-cciM-di Radha gave you money 1.4 Second Person: Possessive (oblique stem) Singular: nI yours (familiar / intimate) ĩ sing. object ĩĈ nI-di yours (familiar / intimate) plu. object ĩι nI-vi your (familiars / intimate) Plural: mI your, yours (respectful) Ẃ sing. object ẂĈ mI-di yours (respectful) plu. object Ẃι mI-vi yours (respectful) Singular: ta-ma yours (honorific) తమ sing. object తమĈ ta-ma-di yours (honorific) sing. object తమΈĈ ta-ma-ri-di yours (honorific) plu. object తమι ta-ma-vi yours (honorific) plu. object తమΈι ta-ma-ri-vi yours (honorific) and so on for the remaining three cases. Notice how the verb ending in Telugu changes with the pronoun used. The beginner need not worry much about the honorific modes shown in the last five lines above. Example IĈ ĩ łΊ i-di nI kA-ru This is your car ఈ łΊ ĩĈ I kA-ru nI-di This car is yours ఈ ĸసłΣ∞ ĩι I pu-sta-kA-lu nI-vi These books are yours http://geocities.com/vnagarjuna/vemuri.html?200527 3/27/2005 padma Page 4 of 12 IĈ Ẃ ĸసకం∞ i-di mI pu-sta-kaM This is your book ఈ ĸసకం∞ ẂĈ I pu-sta-kaM mI-di This book is yours ఈ ĸసłΣ∞ Ẃι I pu-sta-kA-lu mI-vi These books are yours. IĈ తమ łΊ i-di ta-ma kA-ru This is your car ఈ łΊ తమĈ I kA-ru ta-ma-di This car is yours and so on for the remaining three cases. Pronoun as object (familiar person) ČĶ ĩŽ డū∑ IŔ¶╧ gO-pi nI-ku Da-bbu i-ccE-Du Gopi gave you money 1.5 Third Person: Proximate (basic stem) In the third person, make a note of the basic stem used when the person addressed is “close” and notice how it changes in the next section where the person addressed will be assumed to be “far.” Singular: Masculine vI-Du he (familiar / intimate) κ╧ i-ta-nu he (neutral) IతĪ vI-ru he (respectful) κ Ί I-ya-na he (respectful) ఈయన ఈయన₣Ί I-ya-na-gA-ru he (mockingly respectful) Singular: Feminine i-di she (familiar / intimate) IĈ I-me she (neutral) ఈẅ vI-ru she (respectful) κ Ί I-vi-Da she (respectful) ఈιడ ఈιడ₣Ί I-vi-Da-gA-ru she (mockingly respectful) Plural: κή¿ vI-LLu these people (familiar) vI-ru these people (neutral) κΊ Pronoun as subject: ఈẅ ČĶŠ డū∑ Iń¶ంĈ I-me gO-pi-ki Da-bbu i-cciM-di She gave money to Gopi. Pronoun as object: (respectful person) ČĶ κΈŠ డū∑ IŔ¶╧ gO-pi vI-ri-ki Da-bbu i-ccE-Du Gopi gave money to them Possessive Pronoun: http://geocities.com/vnagarjuna/vemuri.html?200527 3/27/2005 padma Page 5 of 12 Dabbu IĈ ĉĨ i-di dI-ni Da-bbu This is her money ఈ డū∑ ĉĨĈ I Da-bbu dI-ni-di This money is hers 1.6 Third Person: Remote (basic stem) Singular: Masculine vA-Du he (familiar / intimate) θ╧ a-ta-nu he (neutral) AతĪ vA-ru he (respectful) θ Ί A-ya-na he (respectful) ఆయన ఆయన₣Ί A-ya-na-gA-ru he (mockingly respectful) Singular: Feminine a-di she (familiar / intimate) AĈ A-me she (neutral) ఆẅ vA-ru she (respectful) θ Ί A-vi-Da she (respectful) ఆιడ ఆιడ₣Ί A-vi-Da-gA-ru she (mockingly respectful) Plural: θή¿ vA-LLu those people (familiar) vA-ru those people (neutral) θΊ Singular: Non-human a-di this (neuter> AĈ Plural: Non-human avi those (neuter) Aι Pronoun as subject: ఆẅ ČĶŠ డū∑ Iń¶ంĈ A-me gO-pi-ki Da-bbu I-cciM-di She gave money to Gopi. Pronoun as subject: Pronoun as object: (respectful person) ČĶ ఆẅŠ డū∑ IŔ¶╧ gO-pi A-me-ki Da-bbu i-ccE-Du Gopi gave money to her Possessive Pronoun: Dabbu IĈ ĉĨ i-di dI-ni Da-bbu This is her money ఈ డū∑ θ╥Ĉ I Da-bbu vA-Di-di This money is his Summary Singular …Nominative… …Objective… …Possessive… 1st Person , , ĭĪ ħŽ నĪ¥ ħ ħĈ nE-nu nA-ku, na-nnu nA, nA-di 2nd Person , , , ĩλ Īλ¡ ĩŽ ĨĪ¥ ĩ ĩĈ http://geocities.com/vnagarjuna/vemuri.html?200527 3/27/2005 padma Page 6 of 12 nI-vu, nu-vvu nI-ku, ni-nnu nI, nI-di , , ẂΊ ẂŽ ẁమΠ¥ Ẃ ẂĈ mI-ru mI-ku, mi-mma-lni mI, mI-di 3rd Person , θ╧ θ╥Š θ╥ θ╥Ĉ vA-Du vA-Di-ki vA-Di, vA-Di-di , , , , , AĈ ఆẅ āĨŠ ఆẅŠ āĨ āĨĈ ఆẅ ఆẅĈ a-di, A-me dA-ni-ki, A-me-ki dA-ni-di, A-me-di , , , , , IĈ ఈẅ ĉĨŠ ఈẅŠ ĉĨ ĉĨĈ ఈẅ ఈẅĈ i-di, i-me di-ni-ki, I-me-ki dI-ni-di, dI-ni-di, I-me, I-me-di , θΊ θΈŠ θΈ θΈĈ vA-ru vA-ri-ki vA-ri, vA-ri-di …Plural… …Nominative... …Objective… …Possessive… 1st Person , Ỳẃ ẀŽ Ẁ ẀĈ mE-mu mA-ku mA, mA-di 2nd Person , ẂΊ ẂŽ Ẃ ẂĈ mI-ru mI-ku mI, mI-di తమΊ తమŠ తమĈ ta-ma-ru ta-ma-ki ta-ma-di 3rd Person - , θ Ί θΈŠ θΈ θΈĈ vA-ru vA-ri-ki vA-ri, vA-ri-di , κΊ κΈŠ κΈ κΈι vI-ru vI-ri-ki vI-ri, vI-ri-vi , Aι θ║Š θ║ θ║ι a-vi vA-Ti-ki vA-Ti, vA-Ti-vi 2.