Unstable personal pronouns in Northern Logudorese

Abstract

This paper deals with some Logudorese dialects of Northern Sardinia, whose nominal and pronominal morphology has been variously reshaped due to contact with Gallurese/Sassarese. While many of the data discussed here were addressed in the previously available literature, we draw on first-hand fieldwork data to show that further simplification in the system of personal pronouns has taken place (Sènnori) or is presently ongoing (Luras), resulting in an overall trend towards loss of marking of the gender contrast, everywhere in the plural, at times also in the singular. In particular in the case of Luras, we show that this rearrangement is taking place through a kaleidoscope of subtly differing individual variants.