Generic you
Encyclopedia
In English grammar
and in particular in casual English
, generic you or indefinite you is the pronoun
you
in its use in referring to an unspecified person
, as opposed to its use as the second person
pronoun.
). In other cases the presence of more than one second-person pronoun is due to a distinction between singular and plural or masculine and feminine. The rules for selecting a generic second-person pronoun may differ from the rules for selecting an ordinary second-person pronoun. Russian
, for example, has a pronoun ты, used as an informal singular, and a pronoun Вы, used as a plural and as a formal singular; but only ты is used generically, such that ты may be used generically in the same sentence as a Вы being used as a literal second-person pronoun. Similarly, in Darja (Arabic
as spoken in the Maghreb
), there are two distinct singular second-person pronouns, one masculine (used when addressing a man) and one feminine (used when addressing a woman); but when used as generic pronouns, the speaker uses the pronoun with the gender corresponding to his or her own sex, rather than that of the person he or she is addressing.
On the other hand, in situations in which the generic you is used in English, diverse ways of expressing the same idea are used in a number of languages. German speakers, for example, use man as the generic pronoun, conjugated as third person. (Man darf einen Wagen kaufen./You may buy a car.) In Japanese, the sentence structure may make a patient
of an action, or even an action itself, the topic of a sentence.
In Middle English
, the pronoun you was used strictly for the second person plural. When the pronouns thou and ye fell out of common use you assumed their roles. Though many prescriptive grammarians disagree with the acquisition of new meaning, many feel it has become so widespread, and lacking an alternative (other than the generic one) that it may be considered standard usage.
English grammar
English grammar is the body of rules that describe the structure of expressions in the English language. This includes the structure of words, phrases, clauses and sentences...
and in particular in casual English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, generic you or indefinite you is the pronoun
Pronoun
In linguistics and grammar, a pronoun is a pro-form that substitutes for a noun , such as, in English, the words it and he...
you
You
You is the second-personpersonal pronoun, both singular and plural, and both nominative and objective case, in Modern English. The oblique/objective form you functioned originally as both accusative and dative)...
in its use in referring to an unspecified person
Placeholder name
Placeholder names are words that can refer to objects or people whose names are either temporarily forgotten, irrelevant, or unknown in the context in which they are being discussed...
, as opposed to its use as the second person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
pronoun.
In English
The generic you is primarily used in informal speech and writing. In formal speech and writing, the pronoun one can be used instead: for example, the informal sentence "Brushing your teeth is healthy" can be expressed more formally as "Brushing one's teeth is healthy."Analogs in other languages
Second-person pronouns and structures are often used generically in other languages as well. Many languages have more than one second-person pronoun. In some languages this is due to a distinction between formal and informal pronouns (informal pronouns typically being used with family and close friends, and formal pronouns typically being used with social superiors and new acquaintances, though the line between these depends on the language; see T-V distinctionT-V distinction
In sociolinguistics, a T–V distinction is a contrast, within one language, between second-person pronouns that are specialized for varying levels of politeness, social distance, courtesy, familiarity, or insult toward the addressee....
). In other cases the presence of more than one second-person pronoun is due to a distinction between singular and plural or masculine and feminine. The rules for selecting a generic second-person pronoun may differ from the rules for selecting an ordinary second-person pronoun. Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, for example, has a pronoun ты, used as an informal singular, and a pronoun Вы, used as a plural and as a formal singular; but only ты is used generically, such that ты may be used generically in the same sentence as a Вы being used as a literal second-person pronoun. Similarly, in Darja (Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
as spoken in the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
), there are two distinct singular second-person pronouns, one masculine (used when addressing a man) and one feminine (used when addressing a woman); but when used as generic pronouns, the speaker uses the pronoun with the gender corresponding to his or her own sex, rather than that of the person he or she is addressing.
On the other hand, in situations in which the generic you is used in English, diverse ways of expressing the same idea are used in a number of languages. German speakers, for example, use man as the generic pronoun, conjugated as third person. (Man darf einen Wagen kaufen./You may buy a car.) In Japanese, the sentence structure may make a patient
Patient (grammar)
In linguistics, a grammatical patient, also called the target or undergoer, is the participant of a situation upon whom an action is carried out. A patient as differentiated from a theme must undergo a change in state. A theme is denoted by a stative verb, where a patient is denoted by a dynamic...
of an action, or even an action itself, the topic of a sentence.
In Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
, the pronoun you was used strictly for the second person plural. When the pronouns thou and ye fell out of common use you assumed their roles. Though many prescriptive grammarians disagree with the acquisition of new meaning, many feel it has become so widespread, and lacking an alternative (other than the generic one) that it may be considered standard usage.
See also
- Disputed English grammarDisputed English grammarDisputed English grammar denotes disagreement about whether given constructions constitute correct English. Such disagreements are often quite impassioned...
- English personal pronounsEnglish personal pronounsThe personal pronouns in the English language can have various forms according to gender, number, person, and case. Modern English is a language with very little noun or adjective inflection, to the point where some authors describe it as analytic, but the Modern English system of personal pronouns...
- Gender-neutral pronounGender-neutral pronounA gender-neutral pronoun is a pronoun that is not associated with any gender. It designates two distinct grammatical phenomena, the first being pronouns/periphrastics that have been assigned nontraditional meanings in modern times out of a concern for gender equity, and the second being genderless...
s - Generic antecedents
- One (pronoun)One (pronoun)One is a pronoun in the English language. It is a gender-neutral, third-person singular pronoun, commonly used in English prose...
- Singular theySingular theySingular they is the use of they to refer to an entity that is not plural, or not necessarily plural. Though singular they is widespread in everyday English and has a long history of usage, debate continues about its acceptability...
- Y'allY'allY'all is a contraction of the words "you" and "all". It is used as a plural second-person pronoun. Commonly believed to have originated in the Southern United States, it is primarily associated with Southern American English, African-American Vernacular English, and some dialects of the Western...