Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

The demonstratives are formed using the pronoun roots von, nin and tan.

here, this place (e.g., "the place near me") - vonmest

there, that place (e.g., "the place near you") - ninmest

over there, that other place, yonder place (e.g., "the place near them") - tanmest

Demonstrative

First-person Demonstrative Article - Indicates that the noun is present or nearby ("near me") or was recently mentioned; typically used in contrast to another similar noun (e.g., "this baby never cries like that one").

Second-person Demonstrative Article - Denotes that the noun is further removed ("near you") or less obvious; typically used in contrast to another similar noun (e.g., "this baby never cries like that one").

Third-person Demonstrative Article - Indicates that the noun is furthest away ("near him") or least obvious; typically used in contrast to one or more other similar nouns. "This book is next to me, that book is next to you, yonder book is next to him."

Note: The demonstrative articles are typically translated with demonstrative *pronouns* in a natural language, but in Novvocu the demonstrative articles are used in the exact same syntactic role as other articles, rather than as pronouns. Unlike Modern English, many natural languages have a similar three-tier system of demonstratives: this-that-yonder ("that further"). A few even make more distinctions, which become too difficult to easily translate to (e.g., Malagasy's six demonstratives) while others divide the demonstratives differently (e.g., Setswana's "near you and me", "not far from you and me", "far from you and me"). The current system seems the best compromise.