From Glover'ssolmization, fromMiddle Englishmi(“third degree or note of Guido of Arezzo's hexachordal scales”),Italianmi in the solmization of Guido of Arezzo, from the first syllable ofLatinmīra(“miracles; the miraculous”) in the lyrics of the scale-ascending hymnUt queant laxis by Paulus Deacon.
Ehret, Christopher (2001),A Historical-Comparative Reconstruction of Nilo-Saharan (SUGIA, Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika: Beihefte;12)[4], Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag,→ISBN,→ISSN.
1 Used only as an object of a preposition or a verb. 2 The collective pronouns specify that the action is performed by all subjects together, rather than on their own. Some speakers may not distinguish various plurality categories, using only one or two plural pronouns.
This form is an optional reduced form of the imperativemira that can see use when combined with one or more clitic pronouns attached to the end of the verb - for example:
The formmeng/ming is used for the neuter when strongly stressed:Dat esming Jlas!(“That'smy glass!”) Contrariwise, the formmi may be used for the masculine and feminine when unstressed, chiefly with words for relatives:mi Papp (“my father”, but less common thanmenge Papp).
“mi”, inKielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish][8] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki:Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland),2004–, retrieved3 July 2023
(we):mi inBárczi, Géza andLászló Országh.A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992:→ISBN
(what):mi inBárczi, Géza andLászló Országh.A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992:→ISBN
(mi [in music]):mi inBárczi, Géza andLászló Országh.A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992:→ISBN
FromLatinmīra, from the first word of the third line ofUt queant laxis, the medieval hymn whichsolfège was based on because its lines started on each note of the scale successively.
Third person pronominal forms used as formal terms of address to refer to second person subjects (with the first letter frequently capitalised as a sign of respect, and to distinguish them from third person subjects). Unlike the singular forms, the plural forms are mostly antiquated terms of formal address in the modern language, and second person plural pronouns are almost always used instead.
2
Also used as indefinite pronoun meaning “one”, and to form the passive.
The pronounmi can be used in both the nominative and accusative case, but it is less common thanma for the latter. When used in possessive constructions, the choice of pronoun is largely determined by vowel harmony.
Courtz, Hendrik (2008),A Carib grammar and dictionary[13], Toronto: Magoria Books,→ISBN, page317
Ahlbrinck, Willem (1931), “mi”, inEncyclopaedie der Karaïben, Amsterdam: Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen, page292; republished as Willem Ahlbrinck, Doude van Herwijnen, transl.,L'Encyclopédie des Caraïbes[14], Paris,1956, page286
The formsmi andmis are only used before and within thenoun phrase of the modified noun. In other positions, a form ofmío is used instead.
Sonmis livros. ―They are my books.
Los livros sonmíos. ―The books are mine.
Besides being a pronoun, becausemi occurs in a noun phrase and expresses reference, it also grammatically classifies as adeterminer (specifically a possessive/genitive determiner).
mi inRamminger, Johann (16 July 2016 (last accessed)),Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700[16], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
^Charles V. J. Russ (editor):The Dialects of Modern German: A Linguistic survey. First published in 1990, reprinted 2000, page 61, note(e): „[...] southern Westphalian dialects, alone of the Low German dialects, do distinguish acc.mik anddik from dat.mi anddi.“
^Ein Sohn der rothen Erde (a son of the red earth):Niu lustert mol! Plattdeutsche Erzählungen und Anekdoten im Paderborner Dialekt. Celle, 1870, page 7: „Fürwörter. Die persönlichen lauten:ik, meyner, mey, mik;diu oderdu, deyner, dey, dik [...]“. Translation: „Pronouns. The personal pronouns are:ik, (genitive)meyner, (dative)mey, (accusative)mik;diu ordu, deyner, dey, dik [...])“
For the most part, Macanese does not have pronoun inflections (accusative, dative, etc.). The exception ismi, the prepositional form ofiou, but even this is extremely rare in modern Macanese.pà mi in the above poem would bepa iou in modern Macanese.
Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the criticaltonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.
1 Used preconsonantally or beforeh. 2 Early or dialectal. 3Dual pronouns are only sporadically found in Early Middle English; after that, they are replaced by plural forms. There are no third person dual forms in Middle English. 4 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd person singular.
^DeLancey, Scott (31 July 2023), “Argument Indexation (Verb Agreement) in South Central (Kuki-Chin)”, inHimalayan Linguistics[1], volume22, number 1,→DOI,→ISSN, pages243-275
The reduced forms with an apostrophe areenclitic; they immediately follow verbs or conjunctions.Dü is deleted altogether in such contexts.
Et is not enclitic and can stand in any unstressed position; the full subject formhat is now rarely used. Inreflexive use, only full object forms occur.
The dual forms are dated, but not obsolete as in other dialects.
Independent possessives are distinguished from attributive ones only with plural referents.
FromLatinmīra, from the first word of the fourth line ofUt queant laxis, the medieval hymn on whichsolfège was based because its lines started on each note of the scale successively. ThroughItalian.
1866, chapterX, inGiovanni Spano, transl.,L'ebagneliu sigundu S. Matteju [The Gospel according to St. Matthew][20] (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), London, translation ofEvangelium secundum Matthaeum, verse 38,page37:
E ca no piglia la so’ crozi, emi sighi, no è dignu di me.
And whoever doesn't take his own cross, and followme, is not worthy of me.
c.19th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, inGiovanni Spano, editor,Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese[21], volume 1 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published1873,song 4,page69:
Nisciunumi cunsola Nisciunu vibendi n’ha di me firizza
No one consolesme. No one alive is proud of me.
1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Femmina [Woman]”, inLa poesia di l'althri [The poetry of others], Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page21:
Cand’eri giobaneddami pugnì cument’e mura mura.
When you were young, you used toprickle me like a blackberry
Isciddu però lu silvidori incuntresi un altru silvidori cumpagnu soju, chi li dibia zentu dinà: e affarrenddilu l’affogaba, dizendi: Pagami lu chimi debi.
Having gone out, however, the servant met another fellow servant, who owed him a hundreddenarii; and, grabbing him, he choked him, saying: "Pay what you oweme".
(literally, “Gone out however the servant met another servant fellow of his, who to him owed a hundred denarii: and grabbing him he choked him, saying: Pay me that whichto me you owe.”)
c.19th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, inGiovanni Spano, editor,Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese[23], volume 1 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published1873,song 15,page89:
Forsimi dizarè Chi chiddu in lu so fà no ha uguali Nè forsi timarè Ch’ un altru possia fatti tantu mali Ma eju diggu cun dolu Chi tal’ omu in lu mondu no è solu.
Maybe you'll tellme that he, in his actions, has no peers. And maybe you won't fear that someone else might hurt you so much. But I say, pained, that that man is not alone in the world.
1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Bocca [Mouth]”, inLa poesia di l'althri [The poetry of others] (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page25:
O bocca di pizzinna, bocca bedda, chimi dizì paràuri pruibiddi e chi basgèndimi eri cussì dozzi!
Oh, young woman's lips, beautiful lips, that spoke forbidden wordsto me, and was so sweet in kissing me!
(literally, “Oh, mouth of girl, beautiful mouth, whoto me spoke forbidden words, and that kissing me was so sweet!”)
1 Used when following a verb ending in-n,-s or-dh. 2sibh andsibhse also act as the polite singular pronouns. To mark a direct object of a verbal noun, the derivatives ofgam are used.
^Wentworth, Roy (2003),Gaelic Words and Phrases From Wester Ross / Faclan is Abairtean à Ros an Iar, Inverness: CLÀR,→ISBN
^Oftedal, M. (1956),A linguistic survey of the Gaelic dialects of Scotland, Vol. III: The Gaelic of Leurbost, Isle of Lewis, Oslo: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap
^John MacPherson (1945) The Gaelic dialect of North Uist (Thesis)[2], Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh
^Mac Gill-Fhinnein, Gordon (1966),Gàidhlig Uidhist a Deas, Dublin: Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath
^Borgstrøm, Carl Hj. (1937),The dialect of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Oslo: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap
The formsmi andmis are only used before and within thenoun phrase of the modified noun. In other positions, a form ofmío is used instead.
Sonmis libros. ―They are my books.
Los libros sonmíos. ―The books are mine.
Besides being a pronoun, becausemi occurs in a noun phrase and expresses reference, it also grammatically classifies as adeterminer (specifically a possessive/genitive determiner).
Hoàng Văn Ma; Lục Văn Pảo; Hoàng Chí (2006),Từ điển Tày-Nùng-Việt [Tay-Nung-Vietnamese dictionary] (in Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Từ điển Bách khoa Hà Nội
Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008),Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages[24], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland
FromProto-Vietic*miː, fromProto-Mon-Khmer*miiʔ. This is the native form in the Central dialects, Northern and Southern dialects borrowed this neutral pronoun with added hostile connotation, probably due to their nativemày/mầy.
Mi is typically heard only after the prepositioni(“to, for”) in formal language and in northern colloquial language. In southern colloquial language the formfi is used after the prepositioni.
This particle is optional and may only be used before inflected verbs in the preterite, future or conditional in affirmative statements, e.g.mifyddai'nmynd(“I will go”).
Some speakers may drop the particle but keep the resulting soft mutation, e.g.fyddai'nmynd(“I will go”) instead ofbyddai'nmynd.
1 Except foryín, object pronouns have a high tone following a low or mid tone monosyllabic verb, and a mid tone following a high tone. For complex verbs, the tone does not change.
