Inclusive and exclusive; we

Some languages, in particular the Austronesian languages, Dravidian languages, and many others such as Taiwanese (Min Nan) and Mandarin have a distinction in grammatical person between inclusive we, which includes the person being spoken to in the group that is included in we, e.g.:

• We can all go to the zoo today.

This contrasts with exclusive we, which excludes the person being spoken to, e.g.:

• We mean to stop your evil plans!

English does not draw this distinction in its grammar. In terms of pronoun usage, most Native American languages are far more specific than Indo-European languages, regardless of the languages’ families. Cherokee, for instance, distinguishes between four forms of “we.” These are: “you and I (inclusive dual)”; “another and I (exclusive dual)”; “others and I (exclusive plural)”; and “you, another or others, and I” (inclusive plural). Fijian goes even further with six words for “we,” with three size categories—dual, small group (three or four people), and large group—and separate inclusive and exclusive forms for each size category.

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Even though it’s English we are speaking:

when he says “We” and he’s not referring to him and I;

it feels weird.

Maybe I put too much value in the words “Us”, and “We” – as though they were saved for who you are with currently or who you are with in your mind’s eye.

But yes, he still says “we used to….”.

*Sigh

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