1. Case System Simplification:
* Old English: Had a complex case system with nominative, accusative, dative, genitive, and instrumental cases for pronouns, reflecting their grammatical function in a sentence.
* Modern English: Has simplified to two cases: nominative (subject) and objective (object). This simplification has led to the loss of distinct forms for some pronouns. For example, the Old English nominative pronoun "he" and the accusative pronoun "hine" merged into the single form "he" in Modern English.
2. Gender Agreement:
* Old English: Pronouns agreed in gender with the noun they referred to. For example, the pronoun "he" was used for masculine nouns, "she" for feminine nouns, and "hit" for neuter nouns.
* Modern English: Gender agreement is mostly lost, except for the third-person singular pronouns ("he," "she," "it"). The use of "it" for both inanimate objects and animals has replaced the older system of gender-specific pronouns.
3. Loss of Dual Pronouns:
* Old English: Had dual pronouns to refer to two things or people, such as "wit" (we two). These pronouns were used alongside plural pronouns like "we" and "you."
* Modern English: The dual forms were lost, leaving only singular and plural pronouns.
4. Emergence of New Pronouns:
* Old English: Didn't have a separate pronoun for "they" in the singular sense. The singular "he" was often used as a generic pronoun, referring to both males and females.
* Modern English: The singular "they" has emerged as a gender-neutral pronoun, used to refer to a person of unknown or unspecified gender. This reflects the growing recognition of gender diversity and inclusivity.
5. Usage and Style:
* Old English: Pronoun usage could be more formal and archaic compared to modern English. For example, "thou" was used for singular "you" in informal contexts.
* Modern English: Pronoun usage has become more standardized and less formal. The use of "you" has replaced "thou" across all contexts.
Examples of Pronoun Changes:
* Old English: *He hine geseah.* (He saw him.)
* Modern English: *He saw him.*
* Old English: *Hit is a god wif.* (It is a good wife.)
* Modern English: *She is a good wife.*
* Old English: *Wit willað faran.* (We two want to go.)
* Modern English: *We want to go.*
Conclusion:
Pronoun usage has undergone substantial changes from Old English to Modern English, reflecting the broader evolution of the language. These changes include the simplification of the case system, the loss of gender agreement and dual forms, and the emergence of new pronouns. The modern pronoun system is more flexible and inclusive than its Old English counterpart.