--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, mcv@... wrote:
> enlil@... wrote:
> >In fact, most pronouns show zero-grading.
> > That's the norm it seems. This makes sense considering that they
are typically
> > lacking accent in a sentence
>
> It doesn't make any sense at all. Accented pronouns are typically
accented, and there typically are _separate_ enclitic forms for use
without accent. The nominative of personal pronouns in particular
is *always* stressed, has no enclitic forms, and is used exclusively
for emphasis in the sentence (PIE being a pro-drop language).
And add the requirement that nominative and accusative be distinct.
Personal pronouns with a rising tone have changed tone (to high)
through lack of stress in Siamese, a pro-drop language with no case
distinctions (unless you want to claim a very dubious genitive case
in loan words and a dubious construct case in native words).
Could this difference help explain the s/t- pattern in the
inflection of *to?
If the language isn't pro-drop, you can have reduced forms for the
subject pronouns, e.g. English 'I' from OE _ic_ (_'ch_ in some south
Western dialects.) and also its modern unstressed pronunciation as a
schwa.
Richard.