Person

Definition

In linguistics, 'person' refers to the grammatical category that distinguishes between different participants in a discourse, typically based on who is speaking, who is being addressed, and who or what is being discussed. This concept is crucial in understanding how languages structure sentences and convey meaning through inflectional and derivational morphology, as it influences verb forms, pronouns, and overall sentence structure.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The three grammatical persons are first person (the speaker), second person (the addressee), and third person (someone or something else).
2. Inflectional morphology often alters verbs to reflect the person of the subject; for instance, in English, 'I walk' (first person) vs. 'he walks' (third person).
3. Derivational morphology can create new words that may include changes in person; for example, adding prefixes or suffixes to base forms.
4. In many languages, different verb forms are used to indicate respect or formality towards the second person, highlighting cultural aspects of language.
5. The choice of person can significantly impact the perspective and tone of a sentence, influencing how information is perceived by the listener.

Review Questions

• How does the concept of 'person' influence verb conjugation in different languages?
  • 'Person' plays a critical role in verb conjugation because verbs change their forms based on whether the subject is first, second, or third person. For example, in English, we see differences like 'I am' (first person), 'you are' (second person), and 'he/she/it is' (third person). These distinctions help clarify who is performing the action and contribute to the overall coherence of communication.
• Discuss the implications of using different persons in writing or speech. How might this affect audience perception?
  • Using different persons in writing or speech can greatly influence how an audience perceives the message. For instance, first-person narratives create a sense of intimacy and personal connection, while third-person narratives can lend objectivity. Shifting from one person to another can also confuse the audience if not done carefully. Thus, understanding when to use each grammatical person is essential for effective communication.
• Evaluate how different languages handle grammatical person and what this reveals about cultural differences in communication styles.
  • Different languages exhibit unique approaches to grammatical person that reflect cultural communication styles. For instance, languages like Japanese have various levels of politeness that affect the choice of second-person pronouns based on social hierarchies. This indicates that understanding and utilizing 'person' is not only a grammatical necessity but also an important aspect of cultural awareness and interpersonal dynamics in communication.

Related terms

Pronouns: Words that replace nouns in a sentence, often indicating the grammatical person, such as 'I' for first person, 'you' for second person, and 'he/she/it' for third person.

Verb Conjugation: The modification of a verb from its base form to express different grammatical categories including tense, mood, voice, aspect, and person.

Grammatical Number: A feature of nouns and pronouns that indicates quantity, distinguishing between singular and plural forms which can interact with person to affect verb agreement.