Pronouns

Pronouns are words, which replace noun, which have already been mentioned.  For example, "The cat ripped the pillow.  It totally destroyed it." The first pronoun refers back to the cat, while second one refers back to the pillow.  Each pronoun either begins with "μ-," "τ-," "β-," or "λ-."  They represent the first, second (familiar), second (formal) and third person respectively. 

The first person is used to indicate the speaker, writer or narrator (i.e. I and we). The second person is used to indicate the person(s) addressed or spoken to (i.e. you). There are two types of second persons that exist. These are the familiar and formal forms. The familiar form is used when addressing family members, close friends, children below the age of about 16, pet animals, people who have equality with you and people who you are on first name bases. The formal form is used for acquaintance and other adults with whom the speaker is not in intimate terms. This includes anyone whom the speaker would address by his or her last name or title. The third person is used to indicate the person(s) spoken about or referred to (i.e. he, she, it and they).

For each pronoun of whatever kind, the sex of the person, place or the thing, is revealed. All pronouns are regular in every way.

WEAK PERSONAL PRONOUNS

In general terms, these pronouns are made the following way:
μ-/τ-/β-/λ- +case ending

These pronouns are gender specific.  These pronouns are used when you do not want to emphasise the noun, to which it refers to.  This is with the exception of the nominative case, which is always considered to show emphasis.  The weak pronouns in the third person and the definite articles are the same.  These do not exist in the genitive case.  The vocative only exists in the second person.  These pronouns are called weak pronouns. With the exceptions of the nominative and vocative cases, all weak pronouns go in a strict order before the verb.

 

 

 

 

STRONG PERSONAL PRONOUNS

In general terms, these pronouns are made the following way:
éμμ-/éττ-/éββ-/éλλ-+case ending

These pronouns are used differently from the weak personal endings.  They basically emphasise the noun.  Unlike the weak pronouns, the strong pronouns are free to be anywhere in the sentence-just like nouns.  That is, it has the flexibility to move around just like a noun.  They can be used in conjunction with the weak pronouns for even more emphasis.  Like the weak personal pronouns, these don’t occur in the genitive case.

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS

In general terms, these pronouns are made the following way:
μ-/t-/β-/λ- +gender of possessor+σ/φ + gender of possessed + case ending

The gender of the possessor and the possessed are given by the vowels "o" for masculine, "a" for feminine and "e" for neuter.  For example, "my book".  If this was said by a man, it would be "μóσe Βiβλíe;" but if this was said by a woman, it would be "μáσe Βiβλíe."

The first vowel indicates what the possessor’s gender and the second vowel indicates the gender of  the possessed: masculine (o), feminine (a) or neuter (e).  Use -σ- when the possessor is one and -φ- if more than one.  If I had said "our dream," it would have been "μóφe/μáφe(/μéφe) Βiβλíe."

The use of possessive adjectives with body parts is not that common in Meσoγeóiκa.  If the possessor is not obvious then the possessive adjective is stated.  For example, “I hit my leg” and “he hit my leg.”  In the first example the possessive adjective is not used.  This is because the subject of the verb is the possessor of the leg.  If you were to use the possessive adjective, you would be emphasising the possessor.  In the second example, the listener will assume that the leg belongs to “him.”  Thus the possessive adjective must be used.  Therefore the translations for the examples above are “θa χτíπe λen Πóδin” and “θa χτíπes μóσen Πóδin.”  The second example can also be translated as “θa μom χτíπes λen Πóδin,” which has a translation of “you hit the leg to me.”

For emphasis of possession, instead of the μ, τ, β, and λ; eμμ, eττ, eββ, and eλλ are used.  For the example above, in Meσoγeóiκa, it would be eμμóφe Biβλíe or eμμáφe Biβλíe.  As you can see, only the possessive adjective is affected by the gender of the possessor. The possessive pronoun is the same as the adjective but without the noun itself.

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

In general terms, these pronouns are made the following way:
μ-/t-/β-/λ- +íχ+gender+case ending)

For example, "μíχon" (myself in the masculine gender) There is no nominative, genitive or vocative. These are used when one uses the active voice instead of the reflexive voice.  Thus instead of θa ξyρiζáμe (reflexive) (I shave myself) one can say, θa ξyρíζa μíχon (active) (I shave myself).

EMPHATIC PRONOUNS

These are pronouns, which emphasise nouns they refer to.  They can be used as adjectives. For example, in the sentence "I saw him myself," the word "myself" is emphatic.  If you remove that word from the sentence, it will still make sense.  In the example above, under reflexive pronouns, if you were to take away “myself,” the remaining sentence will have a change in meaning.  In Meσoγeóiκa, these pronouns are formed by adding the phrase "the same." Although Meσoγeóiκa is a language full of synonyms, there are only three translations of the phrase “the same.”  They are “λo íδio” (from Greek) “λo μéσμo” (from Spanish) and “λo gλáiχo” (from German).  For the sake of emphasis, this pronoun can be split up into two and be in two separate parts of the sentence. For example, Mo θa λan aμéρa λo íδio.-I like her myself.(I+her+like+the same)

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS

These pronouns are used instead of personal pronouns to put a special emphasis on the pronoun. The gender, number and case must remain the same. In Meσoγeóiκa, these pronouns, which translate to this, these, that and those, are dεζo (this/that); eκъíno (that); eκκuéστo (this: near the speaker); κondéστo (that there: near the one spoken to); and κuéλo (that over there-further than condéστo: remoteness from the speaker and one spoken to). Other demonstrative pronouns are τéτio (like that) and τóσo (so much). Examples of these two pronouns are "τéτia Πóρτa" and "τóσe Πáne" translate respectively to "a door like that/this" and "so much bread." All demonstrative pronouns have adjective endings.

IMPERSONAL PRONOUNS

These pronouns are used to refer to persons, things and concepts that aren't precisely defined. Adjectives following these words are capitalised and in the neuter gender. They are treated like neuter nouns. Some are below:

Pronouns that refer to people that are only in the singular number and change only for case include: everyone (κaκúno, κáda úno, κáθe úno, κaθúno), someone/anyone (κuaλκúno, κanóno), no one (nonúno, κanóno), and one-as in you, they, we, people-(óno).

Pronouns that refer to things that are invariable include: everything (τóτeθ, óλeθ), something (κuaλκoκóζa) and nothing (rìén, nìénτe, náda, τíπoτa). The following are variable only by case and gender: much (μúλτo, πoλλó) and little (λiγo, πóκo).

When the pronouns are in the plural number, the pronouns refer to both things and people, which only vary in case. These include: everyone (τóτoθ, óλeθ), others (anderóθ, áλλoθ), several (μéρiκoθ, πλuσioroθ, πaρéκκъioθ), many (μúλτoθ, πoλλóθ) and few (μéρiκoθ, πóκoθ).

RELATIVE PRONOUNS

These refer back to previously mentioned pronoun or noun called an antecedent and introduces a dependent clause that modifies this antecedent. If the relative pronoun is variable, it must have the same number and gender as the antecedent. The case is determined by the function in relative clause. The English relative pronouns are "who" and "that." In Meσoγeóiκa it is "κue," which is invariable, "oκuáλo" (which), "oκuiéno" (who) and "óσo" (as much), which are variable. Relative pronouns refer to time and place are "oκuándo" (when) and "úбi" (where) respectively. Indefinite relative pronouns, which end in "-ever" in English, end in "-δíπoτe" in Meσoγeóiκa.  For example, "whoever" in Meσoγeóiκa translates to "oκuienoδíπoτe,” where “oκuiéno” means “who.”  The accent always goes in the same place of the suffix.

INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS AND ADVERBS

Interrogative pronouns and adverbs question things. As a result they end up forming questions alone. The interrogative pronouns and adverbs are shown below with their translations:

κué what
κuáλo which
κuiéno who
κuánτo how much
κuánτoθ how many
κóμo how
úбi where
uбìóse where to
uбìóθen where from
únde where from
πoρ κué why
κuándo when

"Κué" is used less than an English speaker would think.  The reason being is where one would use the interrogative pronoun "what," the words "κuiéno" or "κuáλo" are used in Meσoγeóiκa. "Κuáλo" and "κuiéno" change ending according to gender, number case; whereas "κuánτo" and "κuánτoz" change according to gender and case. "Κuánτo" is the singular form of "κuánτoz."

Although having similar meanings, "úбi," "uбìóse" and "uбìóθen" are not interchangeable. The first is for location, the second is for destination, and the last is for origin.  They translate to where, where to, and where from respectively.

"Kué," "úбi," "uбìóse," "uбìóθen," "κóμo" and "πoρ κué" are all invariable. These are the interrogative adverbs. The variable interrogatives are pronouns, which are mentioned above.

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