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Old 08-18-2011, 06:25 AM   #2
Selmo
Shade of Carn Dûm
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: The Shire (Staffordshire), United Kingdom
Posts: 273
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar View Post
I get the feeling that Éowyn is so overcome by her love and concern for Aragorn that she perhaps inadvertantly uses the familiar pronoun. Her speech betrays the secret of her heart – unintentionally or in the only way she can find to let him know how she feels.
Estelyn, I think you're right about Eowyn's use of the familiar pronoun.

However, you're wrong about the demise of such things in the English language.
I live just a little to the north of Birmingham, where Tolkien grew up, and my local dialect is similar to the language of that area. In conversation between family and friends we still use familiar pronouns, though when I speak, "thee" sounds more like "thay" and "thine" comes out as "tharn".

The old forms are alive and well in the UK's regional dialects.
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