Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2022 May 10
| Language desk | ||
|---|---|---|
| < May 9 | << Apr | May | Jun >> | May 11 > |
| Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives |
|---|
| The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages. |
May 10
editFormal identity between intensifier and reflexive pronoun
editWhat does the text "formal identity between intensifier and reflexive pronoun" in article Brittonicisms in English mean? I have no idea, an it interests me, because Finnish has the same feature. Can someone explain it? --40bus (talk) 19:24, 10 May 2022 (UTC)
- It means that for example himself can be used either as a reflexive pronoun, as in "he washes himself" (= takes a bath), or as an intensifier, as in "he himself washes something". --Theurgist (talk) 21:28, 10 May 2022 (UTC)
- Which makes the encouragement "Cook yourself!" ambiguous. --Lambiam 23:08, 10 May 2022 (UTC)
- Isn't that what commas are for, like in the old "A panda eats, shoots and leaves" joke... 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 03:03, 11 May 2022 (UTC)
- Ambiguous? Not to Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes. Mathglot (talk) 03:12, 11 May 2022 (UTC)
- Which makes the encouragement "Cook yourself!" ambiguous. --Lambiam 23:08, 10 May 2022 (UTC)