English Indefinite Pronouns

[Has97] [DH13b]

English forms its indefinite pronouns by prefixing some- to the generic-noun stems -one, -body, -thing, -where — yielding someone, somebody, something, somewhere (and parallel any-, no-, every- series). Per [DH13b] F46A, English is classified .genericNounBased on this basis.

The single some- series covers all three SK/SU/NS functions on [Has97]'s map, yielding the AAA syncretism (D&A type i unmarked).

def English.Indefinites.someEntry : Indefinite.IndefinitePronoun

English some- series (someone, somebody, something, …): AAA syncretism, D&A type i unmarked. The form is generic-noun-based (the host stems -one, -body, -thing are nouns), per WALS F46A.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def English.Indefinites.paradigm : Indefinite.IndefiniteParadigm

The English indefinite paradigm (one series, parallel to any-/no- not yet formalized).

Equations

• English.Indefinites.paradigm = { language := "English", isoCode := "eng", forms := [English.Indefinites.someEntry] }

theorem English.Indefinites.english_paradigm_is_AAA : paradigm.syncretism = some Indefinite.SyncretismPattern.AAA

English some- covers all three SK/SU/NS functions: AAA syncretism.

theorem English.Indefinites.english_paradigm_is_genericNounBased : paradigm.toWALS46A = some Data.WALS.F46A.IndefinitePronouns.genericNounBased

English's WALS F46A classification: derived from the paradigm's morphological-basis distribution (single basis .genericNoun → F46A .genericNounBased). Cross-check vs F46A.allData lives in Studies/Haspelmath1997.lean.