Colognian pronouns
In the Colognian dialects, pronouns come in several variations. There are demonstrative pronouns, relative pronouns stressed and unstressed definite personal pronouns, indefinite personal pronouns, generalizing personal pronouns, impersonal pronouns, interrogative pronouns, possessive pronouns, …
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Pronoun use and semantics
Colognian demonstrative pronouns are used in sentences in positions where a noun phrase led by stressed or demonstrative article could be used as well. The pronoun 'replaces' it for brevity. In fact, a demonstrative pronoun can formally be seen as a noun phrase with the article retained and anything else spared, because grammar forms of demonstrative pronouns and those of demonstrative articles exhibit no differences. Demonstrative pronouns are either strict anaphora, or can be cataphora being resolved within the same or next sentence or subsentence. The use as exophora is possible and reduces the choice of intonation and stress patterns to exactly one, most commonly supported by appropriate gestures.
- Example[1] of cataphoric use: Es dat Ding Auto? (Is this your car? , Is that your car?)
- Example[1] of anaphoric use: Dää kütt noch! (Even though not yet here, he will come!)
There are personal pronouns for a variety of uses in Colognian. They all have in common that they link declension with an aspect of conjugation with their forms. Colognian declension follows a case, gender, number scheme, whereas declension among others has a person and number scheme with three grammatical persons: the 1st person referring to the speaker or speakers as agents or patients of a sentence, the 2nd person addresses the listener or listeners of the speaker or speakers as agents or patients of a sentence, while the 3rd person refers to something or someone else but the speaker(s) or the listener(s) as the agents or patients of a sentence, and two grammatical numbers, singular and plural. Declensed forms of personal pronouns combine these schemes. Most possessive pronouns have two distinct uses, some have three or four.
- A possessive pronoun can replace an article, that is why Colognian possessive pronouns can also de called possessive articles.
- Example: et Auto → ding Auto (the car → your car)
- Like a demonstrative pronoun, a possessive pronoun can stand alone representing an entire noun phrase. It can be used exophoric or strict anaphoric, a cataphoric use must be resolved within the same or next sentence or sub-sentence.
- Example: minge kanns de han (you can have mine)
- One of the Cologinan genitives, namely the form having to precede its referent, can also be described as a possessive expression having the form: article-dative + noun-dative + possessive-pronoun-3rd person-nominative
- Example: em Pap singe Poste (fathers post or position)
…
Pronoun declensions
| Demonstrative pronouns | singular masculine | singular feminine | singular neuter | plural any gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative: | dä | die | dat | die | |
| Genitive: | dämm sing(e) dämm sie | dä iehr(e) | dämm sing(e) dämm sie | dänne iehr(e) | |
| vun dämm | vun dää | vun dämm | vun dänne | ||
| Dative: | dämm | dää | dämm | dänne | |
| Accusative: | dä | die | dat | die | |
| Vocative: | — | — | — | — | |
| Relative pronouns | singular masculine | singular feminine | singular neuter | plural any gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative: | dä | die | wat | die | |
| Genitive: | dämm sing(e) dämm sie | dä iehr(e) | dämm sing(e) dämm sie | dänne iehr(e) | |
| vun dämm | vun dää | vun dämm | vun dänne | ||
| Dative: | dämm | dää | dämm | dänne | |
| Accusative: | dä | die | wat | die | |
| Vocative: | dä | die | wat | die | |
| Stressed definite personal pronouns | 1st person singular any gender | 2nd person singular any gender | 3rd person singular masculine | 3rd person singular feminine | 3rd person singular neuter | 1st person plural any gender | 2nd person plural any gender | 3rd person plural any gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative: | isch | do | hä | sei | it | mier | Ühr | sei | |
| Genitive: | ming(e) mie | Ding(e) Die | sing(e) sie | iehr(e) | sing(e) sie | onser uns | Ühr | iehr(e) | |
| vun mier | vun dier | vun imm | vun ehr | vun im | vun uns | vun Üsch | vun inne | ||
| Dative: | mier | dier | imm | ehr | im | uns | Üsch | inne | |
| Accusative: | misch | Disch | inn | sei | it | uns | Üsch | sei | |
| Vocative: | isch | Do | — | — | — | mier | Ühr | — | |
| Unstressed definite personal pronouns | 1st person singular any gender | 2nd person singular any gender | 3rd person singular masculine | 3rd person singular feminine | 3rd person singular neuter | 1st person plural any gender | 2nd person plural any gender | 3rd person plural any gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative: | esch | de | e | se | et | mer | er | se | |
| Genitive: | ming(e) mi | ding(e) di | sing(e) si | iehr(e) | sing(e) si | onser(e) ons | öhr(e) | iehr(e) | |
| vun mer vummer | vun der | vun em | vun er | vun em | vun ons | vun üsch | vun enne | ||
| Dative: | mer | der | em | er | em | ons | üsch | enne | |
| Accusative: | mesch | desch | en | se | et | ons | üsch | se | |
| Vocative: | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Indefinite personal pronouns | 3rd person singular male | 3rd person singular female | 3rd person singular neuter | 3rd person plural any gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative: | eine wä | ein wä | ein wä | wälsche | |
| Genitive: | einem sing(e) wäm sing(e) | einem sing(e) wäm sing(e) | einem sing(e) wäm sing(e) | wälsche iehr(e) | |
| vun einem vun wäm | vun einem vun wäm | vun einem vun wäm | vun wälsche | ||
| Dative: | einem wäm | einem wäm | einem wäm | wälsche | |
| Accusative: | eine wä | ein wä | ein wä | wälsche | |
| Vocative: | — | — | — | — | |
| Generalizing personal pronouns | singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative: | mer | mer | |
| Genitive: | einem sing(e) | wälsche ier | |
| vun einem | vun wälsche | ||
| Dative: | einem | wälsche | |
| Accusative: | eine | wälsche | |
| Vocative: | Do | Ühr | |
| Impersonal pronouns | 3rd person any number any gender | |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative: | keine | |
| Genitive: | keinem sing(e) | |
| vun keinem | ||
| Dative: | keinem | |
| Accusative: | keine | |
| Vocative: | — | |
| Interrogative pronouns | a person any number male | a person any number female | a person any number neuter | not a person any number any gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative: | wä | wä | wä | wat | |
| Genitive: | wäm sing(e) | wä ier(e) | wäm sing(e) | wäm sing(e) | |
| vun wäm | vun wä | vun wäm | vun wat | ||
| Dative: | wäm | wä | wäm | wat | |
| Accusative: | wän | wän | wän | wat | |
| Vocative: | — | — | — | — | |
| Possessive pronouns | 1st person singular any gender | 2nd person singular any gender | 3rd person singular masculine | 3rd person singular feminine | 3rd person singular neuter | 1st person plural any gender | 2nd person plural any gender | 3rd person plural any gender | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s i n g u l a r | m a s c u l i n e | Nominative: | minge ~ mi ~ | dinge ~ di ~ | singe ~ si ~ | ehre ~ | singe ~ si ~ | unse ~ ons ~ | üüre ~ | eere ~ |
| Genitive: | mingem ~ sing(e) | dingem~ sing(e) | singem ~ sing(e) | eerem ~ sing(e) | singem ~ sing(e) | onsem ~ sing(e) | üürem ~ sing(e) | eerem ~ sing(e) | ||
| vun mingem ~ | vun dingem ~ | vun singem ~ | vun eerem ~ | vun singem ~ | vun onsem ~ | vun ührem ~ | vun eerem ~ | |||
| Dative: | mingem ~ | dingem ~ | singem ~ | ehrem ~ | singem ~ | onsem ~ | ührem ~ | ehrem ~ | ||
| Accusative: | minge ~ mi ~ | dinge ~ di ~ | singe ~ si ~ | ehre ~ | singe ~ si ~ | unse ~ ons ~ | üüre ~ | eere ~ | ||
| Vocative: | minge ~ mi ~ | dinge ~ di ~ | singe ~ si ~ | ehre ~ | singe ~ si ~ | unse ~ ons ~ | üüre ~ | eere ~ | ||
| s i n g u l a r | f e m i n i n e | Nominative: | ming ~ mi ~ | ding ~ di ~ | sing ~ si ~ | eer ~ | sing ~ si ~ | uns ~ ons ~ | üür ~ | eer ~ |
| Genitive: | minger ~ iehr(e) | dinger~ iehr(e) | singer ~ iehr(e) | eerer ~ iehr(e) | singer ~ iehr(e) | onser ~ iehr(e) | üürer ~ iehr(e) | eerer ~ iehr(e) | ||
| vun minger ~ | vun dinger ~ | vun singer ~ | vun erer ~ | vun singer ~ | vun onser ~ | vun ührer ~ | vun erer ~ | |||
| Dative: | minger ~ | dinger ~ | singer ~ | ehrer ~ | singer ~ | onser ~ | ührer ~ | ehrer ~ | ||
| Accusative: | ming ~ mi ~ | ding ~ di ~ | sing ~ si ~ | eer ~ | sing ~ si ~ | uns ~ ons ~ | üür ~ | eer ~ | ||
| Vocative: | ming ~ mi ~ | ding ~ di ~ | sing ~ si ~ | eer ~ | sing ~ si ~ | uns ~ ons ~ | üür ~ | eer ~ | ||
| s i n g u l a r | n e u t e r | Nominative: | ming ~ mi ~ | ding ~ di ~ | sing ~ si ~ | eer ~ | sing ~ si ~ | uns ~ ons ~ | üür ~ | eer ~ |
| Genitive: | mingem ~ sing(e) | dingem~ sing(e) | singem ~ sing(e) | eerem ~ sing(e) | singem ~ sing(e) | onsem ~ sing(e) | üürem ~ sing(e) | eerem ~ sing(e) | ||
| vun mingem ~ | vun dingem ~ | vun singem ~ | vun eerem ~ | vun singem ~ | vun onsem ~ | vun ührem ~ | vun eerem ~ | |||
| Dative: | mingem ~ | dingem ~ | singem ~ | ehrem ~ | singem ~ | onsem ~ | ührem ~ | ehrem ~ | ||
| Accusative: | ming ~ mi ~ | ding ~ di ~ | sing ~ si ~ | eer ~ | sing ~ si ~ | uns ~ ons ~ | üür ~ | eer ~ | ||
| Vocative: | ming ~ mi ~ | ding ~ di ~ | sing ~ si ~ | eer ~ | sing ~ si ~ | uns ~ ons ~ | üür ~ | eer ~ | ||
| p l u r a l | a n y g e n d e r | Nominative: | ming ~ mi ~ | ding ~ di ~ | sing ~ si ~ | eer ~ | sing ~ si ~ | uns ~ ons ~ | üür ~ | eer ~ |
| Genitive: | minge ~ iehr(e) | dinge~ iehr(e) | singe ~ iehr(e) | eere ~ iehr(e) | singe ~ iehr(e) | onser ~ iehr(e) onse ~ iehr(e) ons ~ iehr(e) | üüre ~ iehr(e) | eere ~ iehr(e) | ||
| vun minge ~ | vun dinge ~ | vun singe ~ | vun ere ~ | vun singe ~ | vun onser ~ vun onse ~ vun ons ~ | vun ühre ~ | vun ere ~ | |||
| Dative: | minge ~ | dingr ~ | singe ~ | ehre ~ | singe ~ | onser ~ onse ~ ons ~ | ühre ~ | ehre ~ | ||
| Accusative: | ming ~ mi ~ | ding ~ di ~ | sing ~ si ~ | eer ~ | sing ~ si ~ | uns ~ ons ~ | üür ~ | eer ~ | ||
| Vocative: | ming ~ | ding ~ di ~ | sing ~ si ~ | eer ~ | sing ~ si ~ | uns ~ ons ~ | üür ~ | eer ~ | ||
References
- Examples use these conventions:
- Where stress is of importance, stressed syllables or words are underlined.
- Alternative translations are separated with commas when their sense is identical.
- If the original has multiple meanings, their translations are separated with slashes.
Bibliography
- Ferdinand Münch: Grammatik der ripuarisch-fränkischen Mundart. Cohen, Bonn 1904. (online)
Reprinted with permission: Saendig Reprint Verlag, Wiesbaden 1970, ISBN 3-500-21670-6, under a license by Verlag Bouvier, Bonn. - Fritz Hoenig: Wörterbuch der Kölner Mundart. second, extended edition, Cologne 1905.
- Alice Tiling-Herrwegen: De kölsche Sproch, Kurzgrammatik Kölsch-Deutsch. Bachem-Verlag Köln. 1st edition, 2002. ISBN 3-7616-1604-X
- Christa Bhatt, Alice Herrwegen: Das Kölsche Wörterbuch. Bachem-Verlag Köln. 2nd edition, 2005. ISBN 3-7616-1942-1