| 释义 |
pronoun|ˈprəʊnaʊn|
[f. pro-1 4 + noun, after F. pronom, L. prōnōmen.]
a. One of the Parts of Speech: a word used instead of a noun substantive, to designate an object without naming it, when that which is referred to is known from context or usage, has been already mentioned or indicated, or, being unknown, is the subject or object of inquiry.
personal pronouns of the first and second persons (I, you (thou), pl. we, you, with their cases) stand instead of the names of the speaker and the person spoken to. Those of the third person (he, she, it, they, with their cases, originally demonstratives) avoid the repetition of a name already mentioned or indicated. interrogative pronouns (who? what? which?) ask the name, etc. of a person or thing unknown. relative pronouns (who, which, that) combine the function of a personal or demonstrative pronoun with that of a conjunction, and subordinate one sentence or clause to another, as ‘I met a friend who told me’ for ‘I met a friend, and he told me’. possessive pronouns are adjectives arising out of the original genitive case of personal pronouns. In Eng., as in many other modern langs., they have developed two forms, one absolute or strictly pronominal (mine, thine, ours, yours, etc.), the other adjectival (my, thy, our, your, etc.).
In addition to these, several definitive adjectives are very commonly used absolutely or pronominally, and classed as adjective pronouns or pronominal adjectives. These include the demonstratives, this (pl. these), that (pl. those), yon (or yonder); distributives, each, every, either, neither (of which every as a pronoun is now archaic); indefinite numerals, etc., any, some, one, other (another), none, to which some add all, both, many, few, enough, such, when used absolutely. One is often used as an indefinite personal pronoun (one 20); and the words self and own, used to strengthen the personal and possessive pronouns, are sometimes classed with them.
1530Palsgr. 74 Pronownes be suche as, standynge in the stede of substantives, may governe verbes to be of lyke nombre and parson with them. 1581W. Fulke in Confer. iii. (1584) T ij, Whereto els hath the pronowne (this) relation? 1612Brinsley Lud. Lit. vi. (1627) 55 They are either Nownes, or Pronowns. 1668Wilkins Real Char. iii. ii. §3 As Nouns are notes or signs of things, so Pronouns are of Nouns; and are therefore called Pronomina, quasi vice Nominum, as being placed commonly instead of Nouns. 1751Harris Hermes i. v. (1786) 73 The Genuine Pronoun always stands by itself, affirming the Power of a Noun and supplying its place. 1827Hare Guesses (1847) 187 They are strange and mighty words, these two little pronouns, I and Thou. 1904Onions Adv. Eng. Syntax §62 Adjective Clauses are introduced by Relative Pronouns.., Relative Adjectives.., or Relative Adverbs.., referring to a noun or noun-equivalent called the Antecedent, expressed or implied in the Principal Clause. Ibid. §223 We is often employed colloquially, like ‘you’, as an Indefinite Pronoun = ‘one’.
b. Comb., as pronoun-form, pronoun-object.
1933L. Bloomfield Language xvi. 269 Among the substantives are some pronoun-forms which, by over⁓differentiation, do not serve as actors: me, us, him, her, them, whom. 1973Word 1970 XXVI. 81 In the first-person plural, the subject pronoun-form functions as an indirect object: They give me the money.
1957R. W. Zandvoort Handbk. Eng. Gram. i. v. 78 To do is used as a notional verb, chiefly in its non-finite forms and with a neuter pronoun-object (something, nothing, this, that, it, what? etc.). 1963F. T. Visser Hist. Syntax I. iv. 425 The period of transition from Old to Middle English is characterised by a considerable number of remarkable changes in the form of most of the reflexive pronoun-objects. |