An intensive pronoun (or self-intensifier) adds emphasis to a statement; for example, "I did it myself." While English intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) use the same form as reflexive pronouns, an intensive pronoun is different from a reflexive pronoun because it functions as an adverbial or adnominalmodifier, not as an argument of a verb. Both intensive and reflexive pronouns make reference to an antecedent. For example, compare "I will do it myself," where "myself" is a self-intensifier indicating that nobody else did it, to "I sold myself," where "myself" fills the argument role of direct object.[1] Note also that this sentence may be extended, as in "I sold myself myself," where the second pronoun emphasizes the fact that nobody helped me to sell myself.
Self-intensifiers have also been called simply "intensifiers",[2] or "emphatic reflexives", or "intensive reflexives". In many languages, they are similar or identical to reflexive pronouns.
In other languages
Latin has a dedicated intensifier, ipse, -a, -um, used to emphasize a noun or pronoun in either a subject or a predicate of a sentence.
In Danish, emphasis is indicated using the word selv; "I will do it myself" is rendered Jeg gør det selv. When a verb is used that requires reflexion, it becomes similar to English except that two words are used: "I help myself" is rendered Jeg hjælper mig selv.
In German, emphasis is indicated using the word selbst. "I will do it myself" is rendered Ich werde es selbst tun. Dutch usage of zelf is identical: Ik zal het zelf doen.
In Spanish, as in most other pro-drop languages, emphasis can be added simply by explicitly using the omissible pronoun. Following the above example, "I will do it myself" is rendered "Lo haré yo." Adding "mismo" after the pronoun yields additional emphasis. French uses certain forms of disjunctive pronouns completed by adverb -même, for example (Je l'ai fait moi-même).
^Leonardi, Vanessa (2012). Cognitive English Grammar. libreriauniversitaria.it ed. p. 40. ISBN9788862923026. Leonardi is a professor at the University of Ferrara, Italy; see "Leonardi Vanessa". Università degli studi di Ferrara. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
^König, Ekkehard, Peter Siemund & Stephan Töpper. 2005. Intensifiers and reflexives. In Martin Haspelmath, Matthew S. Dryer, David Gil & Bernard Comrie (eds.), The world atlas of language structures, 194–197. Oxford: Oxford University Press. http://wals.info/chapter/112.
Further reading
Ramsey, Samuel (1968). The English Language and English Grammar. Ardent Media. p. 324. Discusses how English came to acquire reflexive and intensive pronouns from earlier languages.
Gast, Volker & Peter Siemund. 2006. Rethinking the relationship between SELF-intensifiers and reflexives. Linguistics 44(2). 343–381. doi:10.1515/LING.2006.013.
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intensive, pronoun, intensive, pronoun, self, intensifier, adds, emphasis, statement, example, myself, while, english, intensive, pronouns, myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves, same, form, reflexive, pronouns, intensive, prono. An intensive pronoun or self intensifier adds emphasis to a statement for example I did it myself While English intensive pronouns e g myself yourself himself herself ourselves yourselves themselves use the same form as reflexive pronouns an intensive pronoun is different from a reflexive pronoun because it functions as an adverbial or adnominal modifier not as an argument of a verb Both intensive and reflexive pronouns make reference to an antecedent For example compare I will do it myself where myself is a self intensifier indicating that nobody else did it to I sold myself where myself fills the argument role of direct object 1 Note also that this sentence may be extended as in I sold myself myself where the second pronoun emphasizes the fact that nobody helped me to sell myself Contents 1 Terminology 2 In other languages 3 See also 4 References 5 Further readingTerminology EditSelf intensifiers have also been called simply intensifiers 2 or emphatic reflexives or intensive reflexives In many languages they are similar or identical to reflexive pronouns In other languages EditLatin has a dedicated intensifier ipse a um used to emphasize a noun or pronoun in either a subject or a predicate of a sentence In Danish emphasis is indicated using the word selv I will do it myself is rendered Jeg gor det selv When a verb is used that requires reflexion it becomes similar to English except that two words are used I help myself is rendered Jeg hjaelper mig selv In German emphasis is indicated using the word selbst I will do it myself is rendered Ich werde es selbst tun Dutch usage of zelf is identical Ik zal het zelf doen In Spanish as in most other pro drop languages emphasis can be added simply by explicitly using the omissible pronoun Following the above example I will do it myself is rendered Lo hare yo Adding mismo after the pronoun yields additional emphasis French uses certain forms of disjunctive pronouns completed by adverb meme for example Je l ai fait moi meme See also EditDisjunctive pronoun Weak pronoun IntensifierReferences Edit Leonardi Vanessa 2012 Cognitive English Grammar libreriauniversitaria it ed p 40 ISBN 9788862923026 Leonardi is a professor at the University of Ferrara Italy see Leonardi Vanessa Universita degli studi di Ferrara Retrieved 2014 04 07 Konig Ekkehard Peter Siemund amp Stephan Topper 2005 Intensifiers and reflexives In Martin Haspelmath Matthew S Dryer David Gil amp Bernard Comrie eds The world atlas of language structures 194 197 Oxford Oxford University Press http wals info chapter 112 Further reading EditRamsey Samuel 1968 The English Language and English Grammar Ardent Media p 324 Discusses how English came to acquire reflexive and intensive pronouns from earlier languages Gast Volker amp Peter Siemund 2006 Rethinking the relationship between SELF intensifiers and reflexives Linguistics 44 2 343 381 doi 10 1515 LING 2006 013 This linguistics article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Intensive pronoun amp oldid 1086265821, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
