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The meaning of "you" (Was: Re: In the Trenches, A Bit of Venting)
Subject:The meaning of "you" (Was: Re: In the Trenches, A Bit of Venting) From:"Richard G. Combs" <richard -dot- combs -at- voyanttech -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 18 Nov 2002 11:14:57 -0700
Gary S. Callison wrote:
> "You are not doing them any favors... ...you're just following the
> lemmings over the cliff". Feel free to explain how that sentence can be
> parsed differently.
<snip>
> Content is more important than design. Please use 2nd person pronouns when
> you are talking to an individual or group, and "this hypothetical person
> I'm talking about, who is of course none of you" when that is your
> intended meaning.
For, gosh, quite some time now, "you" has had two primary meanings (courtesy
of dictionary.com):
1. Used to refer to the one or ones being addressed: I'll lend you the book.
You shouldn't work so hard. See Regional Note at you-all. See Regional Note
at you-uns.
2. Used to refer to an indefinitely specified person; one: You can't win
them all.
In some very formal contexts (academic writings, perhaps), one might want to
rewrite Andrew's sentence as "One is not doing them any favors...one is just
following..."
However, one who insists upon misunderstanding the word "you" when used in
place of the formal, and in most contexts, archaic, "one" is either sadly
out of touch with modern usage or deliberately looking for offense. If one
is unfamiliar with the indefinite "you," perhaps educating oneself about it
will help prevent confusion.
One wonders whether those who haven't yet encountered this broader meaning
of "you" are still reserving that word for the plural and using "thee" when
speaking directly to one other person.
;-)
Richard
------
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Voyant Technologies, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT voyanttechDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT freeDASHmarketDOTnet
303-777-0436
------
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