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From: Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org>
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english,sci.lang
Subject: Re: Somewheres
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:48:56 +1000
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On 22/09/24 23:37, Ruud Harmsen wrote:
> Sat, 14 Sep 2024 15:57:14 -0000 (UTC): Christian Weisgerber
> <naddy@mips.inka.de> scribeva:
>
>> I'm a bit sensitive to this because Italian and Spanish are
>> pro-drop languages, i.e., they omit the subject pronoun, except for
>> emphasis or disambiguation.  Spanish in particular does not
>> distinguish 1SG and 3SG in the imperfect, conditional, present
>> subjunctive, or imperfect subjunctive, and Spanish speakers seem to
>> feel little need to inject pronouns for disambiguation, which can
>> be disorienting to language learners.
>
> Portuguese does, digo eu.

Irish is intermediate in this respect. First person pronouns are rarely
needed, because the verb endings are distinctive. In second and third
person the verb endings don't help, so pronouns are essential.

I imagine there was a time long ago when it was a pro-drop language, but
then gradually the verb endings were eroded down into a simpler system.

In the Germanic languages, including English, the erosion has gone a lot 
further.

-- 
Peter Moylan       peter@pmoylan.org    http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW