What is a pronoun?

Definition
	A pronoun is a pro-form which functions like a noun and substitutes for a noun or noun phrase.

Discussion
	A language may have several classes of pronouns.

Features
	Here are some features found in various pronominal systems:
	Person (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th) Number (singular, duo, trio, quadral and plural) Inclusion (inclusive, exclusive) Gender (masculine, feminine, and neuter) Semantic class Morphological class Grammatical relation (subject, object; ergative, absolutive…) Semantic role (agent, patient…) Usage (formal or informal, regular or honorific) Spatial and temporal position

Examples (English)
	Personal pronouns (I, they) Reflexive pronouns (herself) Demonstrative pronouns (this) Interrogative pronouns (who, which) in questions) Relative pronouns (who, which in relative clauses)

Generic
	A pronoun is a kind of
	What is a pro-form?

Sources
	Crystal 1980 287
	Hartmann and Stork 1972 186
	Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 335
	Mish 1991 942

Context for this page:

Concept module: pronoun
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): P
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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