Singular we

In Shaetlan da form we can be øsed noo an agein even if it’s onnly spaekin aboot ee single spaeker:

– We’ll see dee laeter! (‘I’ll see you later!’)

Dis almosst onnly comes aboot whin de’r somethin mutual happenin, whit’s caaed reciprocal claases, wi a direct addressee (body 1 is spaekin ti’ body 2). Standirt English øses “een anidder” in reciprocal claases, so da example abün could translate ti’ somethin laek “We'll see each other later”.

Idda Scandinavian languages reciprocal claases is expressed wi a speecial form o da verb (action wird), whit’s caaed da passive form:

– Vi ses senare! (We'll see dee/you laeter!')

Dis form gings back ti’ da Old Norse ‑sk endeen, at cam aboot fae da pronoun sik ‘eensel’.

Pictir: Julie Dennison