[lit-ideas] Re: "I" as a hypercorrection
- From: JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2004 20:48:46 EDT
Parents, but Mothers in particular I think, get in the habit of
self-referral in the third person. Probably because when they have infants
they wish to
teach the infant to recognize them as Mommy, they start with tiny sentences
like "can you hand the toy to Mommy?", "where's Mommy's nose?", move on to
"Okay, be a good girl for Mommy and afterwards we'll go for ice cream" and at
some point a Mommy finds herself in this exchange.
"Okay, Bronwyn, Mom will pick you up at 3:00 this afternoon from 7th grade
band."
"Mom, wouldn't it creep you out if I said, 'Mom today after school Bronwyn
wants to go to the movies.'?".
<sigh>
Julie Krueger
========Original Message======== Subj: [lit-ideas] "I" as a
hypercorrection Date: 10/11/04 7:08:37 PM Central Daylight Time From:
_Jlsperanza@xxxxxxxx (mailto:Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx) To:
_lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) Sent on:
Andy Amago writes:
I thought the "I" was a hypercorrection.
----
This reminds me of something I was reading only today. From "The Conquest
of
the River Plate" by London-born author, R. B. Cunninghame-Graham:
"When Nunez and his expedition had got across the river to the Chaco, they
were met by a deputation of the chiefs of the Gaycurus. They came to see him
and to fulfil a curious ceremony. 'The principal Indians came to tell the
Governor that it was their custom when they went to war to make a present
to the
captain ...' (* Nunez, in his 'Comentarios' always speaks of himself in the
third person as the 'Governor', probably because he was a gentleman and
disliked to use 'I' perpetually)." (p. 127).
On the other hand, ...
Cheers,
JL
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