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‘Je’ est une autre: Gendered First-Person Singular Pronouns in Tocharian A and Yemeni Arabic Dialects
Abstract
This paper examines the typologically rare phenomenon of grammatical gender distinction in first-person singular pronouns, focusing on Tocharian A and Yemeni Arabic dialects. Neither language inherited this feature—it is absent from common Indo-European and common Semitic. Instead, sociolinguistic factors likely drove its emergence. In Tocharian A, it may stem from hypercorrection, while in Yemeni Arabic dialects, it reflects competition between local and supralocal forms. Some evidence suggests a contact influence, possibly from a Ḥimyaritic substrate. Ultimately, both cases highlight how common sociolinguistic tendencies can lead to the emergence of unusual grammatical structures.
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