Miguel Carrasquer wrote:
> Romanian -lor is historically a masculine genitive (from
> Latin illorum), but it's a general oblique in modern
> Romanian (it also expresses the dative, and serves for all
> genders, as you say). Further extension to vocative
> function is not surprising.
>
> =======================
> Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
> mcv@...
Well, in this case we have grave differences between singular and plural if
we go from the same historic point. I won't wonder about Dative since in
fact actual Genitive is derived from historical Dative. One can even say,
the actual Genitive is the adaptation of the formal Datives to the
determinant function( the genitive construction here being special for Alb.
and Rom, following the same path in building it). Thus, if the desincens for
Gentive and Dative are the same due the fact Genitive < formal Dative, not
the same can be said avout Vocative which has nothing to do with these,
neither show it any determinant. Of course if one want to explain it trough
Latin "illorum" one can do it, but how is to understand this change since in
sg. we have the normal Vocative as in Latin as well? Did the speakers have
had no idea what they are talking about or how to explain a such change if
for real did happen?
Alex