Lesson 22

Demonstrative Pronouns

Pali, the language of the early Buddhist scriptures, is rich in pronouns that convey different nuances of meaning, especially when it comes to demonstrative pronouns. These pronouns serve to point out specific persons, things, or concepts in relation to the speaker's perspective. In this article, we will explore the usage of the demonstrative pronouns ta and eso, and how they relate to both personal and demonstrative pronouns in Pali.

Personal Pronouns: "so," "sā," "taṃ"

In Pali, personal pronouns are used to refer to people or things. The forms so, sā, and taṃ are essential in identifying the subject or object in a sentence:

• so (he), sā (she), and taṃ (it) refer to a singular entity.

These pronouns are used to refer to individuals or objects from the speaker's perspective, often indicating a person or thing that is close or relevant in the context.

Demonstrative Pronouns: "so," "sā," "taṃ" for "that"

The pronouns so, sā, and taṃ also function as demonstrative pronouns, meaning "that." These are used when referring to something distant, either physically or conceptually, from the speaker or listener:

• so (that [masculine]), sā (that [feminine]), and taṃ (that [neuter]).

The difference between personal and demonstrative usage may seem subtle but is important in Pali syntax and meaning.

Plural Forms: "te," "tā," "tāyo," "te," "tāni"

When referring to multiple entities, Pali uses the plural form of demonstrative pronouns:

• te, tā, tāyo, te, and tāni mean "those" when speaking about multiple things or people in the third person.

For example:

• "Te, tā, tāyo, te, tāni" (those – referring to multiple entities, either people or things).