Welcome, language lovers! Have you ever considered working as a translator? Does the career path of a language professional seem interesting to you? We think we can safely assume so. This is why our weekly video-fixes often focus on linguistics, multilingualism and translation. This one, created by Krystian Aparta for TED-Ed, is no exception!
The words we use instead of nouns and noun phrases are called pronouns. Can you think of examples in your language? We bet that only took a second! Translators face many challenges in their daily work, and pronouns certainly do not make their lives any easier.
Languages and cultures around the world take various approaches to pronouns. When situational context, formality level of a conversation, gender and number of interlocutors come to play, things get complicated. Do you feel confused already? The video will answer all your questions! Where in Europe can we talk about the T-V distinction? Which nation decided to be polite all the time? Let’s find out!
Written by Magdalena Sikorska. She holds a Bachelor in Italian Language and Literature as well as master’s degrees in Journalism and Social Communication and Polish Philology.