English indefinite pronouns

English prefixes some-, any- and no- to the generic nouns one, body and thing and to the interrogative where, so that its series mix bases. The some- series is used for a referent the speaker has in mind, for one the speaker presupposes but cannot identify and for irrealis non-specific reference, and reaches into questions and conditionals; the any- series takes over from questions and conditionals through both negations and the comparative to free choice; the no- series is confined to direct negation. The two longer series overlap in questions and conditionals (Did you see someone?, Did you see anyone?). The members are those of Haspelmath's table, in their usual spelling where he hyphenates (some-body).

References

• [Has97]

def English.Indefinites.someone : IndefinitePronoun

someone, of the some- series.

Equations

• English.Indefinites.someone = { form := "someone", ontology := Pronoun.OntologicalCategory.person }

def English.Indefinites.anyone : IndefinitePronoun

anyone, of the any- series.

Equations

• English.Indefinites.anyone = { form := "anyone", ontology := Pronoun.OntologicalCategory.person }

def English.Indefinites.noOne : IndefinitePronoun

no one, of the no- series.

Equations

• English.Indefinites.noOne = { form := "no one", ontology := Pronoun.OntologicalCategory.person }

The series

def English.Indefinites.someSeries : IndefinitePronoun.Series

The some- series.

Equations

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

def English.Indefinites.anySeries : IndefinitePronoun.Series

The any- series.

Equations

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

def English.Indefinites.noSeries : IndefinitePronoun.Series

The no- series, whose time and manner members are never and no way.

Equations

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