Does you mean I? : Generic du (‘you’) as a case of informalization and subjectification in Swedish
In Swedish today, du (‘you’) is sometimes used with generic reference. This use of generic du is often claimed to be a new invention, triggered by English influence in the late 20th century. However, in this article an analysis of occurrences of du from the period 1225–2013 is presented that demonstrates that generic du was used even as early as the Old Swedish period (1225–1526), i.e. long beforeIn Swedish today, du (‘you’) is sometimes used with generic reference. This use of generic du is often claimed to be a new invention, triggered by English influence in the late 20th century. However, in this article an analysis of occurrences of du from the period 1225–2013 is presented that demonstrates that generic du was used even as early as the Old Swedish period (1225–1526), i.e. long befor