Articles used as pronouns in German (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

Articles used as pronouns in German
Tags: German
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Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages

11 messages over 2 pages: 1 2

morinkhuur
Triglot
Groupie
Germany
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Message 9 of 11

03 November 2012 at 11:49am | IP Logged

Josquin wrote:

Medulin wrote:

Der Paul, die Tatjana are a norm in Southern German (from Frankfurt a. Main
southwards). They are avoided in the North

That's simply not true! Germans put articles in front of names in the North as well as in the South. You can even say:
"Die Frau Müller hat gerade angerufen" (Mrs Müller just called). I doubt though that this might be the reason why
articles can be used as demonstrative pronouns.

I disagree. Speakers in the north who use this construction are almost exclusively from southern Germany or they
learned it from their southern parents. Some people in the north may have also adopted it from friends or relatives
in the south but it is never found in Standard German or northern dialects and the vast majority of northern
Germans do not use it.
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Josquin
Heptaglot
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Germany
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Message 10 of 11

03 November 2012 at 1:34pm | IP Logged

Well, I'm from Northrhine-Westphalia and I do use it! Neither are my parents from the South nor do I have any other relatives there.
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Bao
Diglot
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Germany
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Message 11 of 11

03 November 2012 at 4:54pm | IP Logged

My dad's family from a villange near Kassel says de and 's when talking about people with their given names. My mum's family sometimes uses indefinite and possessive articles with given names (the latter to express 'I know that person but s/he is your friend'). I myself only use indefinite articles once in a while, as I use names only when I know the other person knows the one talked about; otherwise I mark or replace the name with a kinship or relationship term.

Edited by Bao on 03 November 2012 at 4:55pm

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