This feature asks whether the phonologically independent pronoun forms used for second persons differ for masculine and feminine referents. This masculine/feminine distinction is a minimal contrast required for the coding of this feature, but other gender categories may also be encoded in second person pronoun forms. Pronoun systems that encode other grammatical gender/noun class categories in second person forms in the absence of a masculine/feminine distinction are not sufficient to satisfy this criterion. Languages that qualify for a 1 code for this feature will include a distinction between masculine and feminine forms in at least some categories of second person independent pronouns, but possibly not all categories. In many languages this contrast occurs only in the singular pronouns; that is, there is a contrast between masculine and feminine forms for second person singular, but not for second person plural (or dual, or any other non-singular number category). In some languages there is a contrast in multiple number categories, including singular and some non-singular number categories. It is uncommon for a language to have a masculine/feminine contrast in non-singular second person pronouns but not in the singular pronouns. However such languages would also satisfy the criteria for this feature. For more information on the difference between grammatical gender and social, cultural, and biological constructs or traits, see the gender wiki page.
Standard Arabic (ISO 639-3: arb, Glottolog: stan1318)
Arabic independent pronouns include masculine and feminine forms for the second person singular and plural.
Second person independent personal pronouns
| Gender | Singular | Dual | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | 'anta | 'antum | |
| feminine | 'anti | 'antunna | |
| non-specific | 'antumaa |
(Ryding 2005: 298)
Although there is only one second person dual personal pronoun which can be interpreted as either masculine or feminine, the presence of a masculine/feminine distinction in the singular and plural forms is sufficient to trigger a 1 for this feature for Standard Arabic.
Wandala (ISO 639-3: mfi, Glottolog: wand1278)
Wandala’s independent pronoun system encodes three person categories, two number categories, and an inclusive/exclusive distinction in first person pronouns, but no gender categories for any person or number category.
Wandala independent pronouns
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | íyyà | míyà (INCL) |
| ŋrè (EXCL) | ||
| 2 | ə̀kká | kùré |
| 3 | ŋánè | ítàrè or ítèrè |
(Frajzyngier 2012: 107)
Wandala has no gender contrast in second person independent pronouns, so it is coded 0.
Siewierska, Anna. 2005. Gender distinctions in independent personal pronouns. In Haspelmath, Martin, Matthew S. Dryer, David Gil, and Bernard Comrie (eds.) The World Atlas of Language Structures, 182–185. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Frajzyngier, Zygmunt. 2012. A grammar of Wandala. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
Ryding, Karin C. 2005. A reference grammar of modern standard Arabic. New York: Cambridge University Press.
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| 0 | absent | 2051 | |
| 1 | present | 117 | |
| ? | Not known | 47 |
| Name | Glottocode | Family | Macroarea | Contributor | Value | Source | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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