-5

The widely used conventional terms “first”, “second” and “third” “person” are highly arbitrary names. They imply that these three ways a person can refer to a person have an ordering; well, they do not have a highly intrinsic and unavoidable one. Also, the word “person” is not that on-point or accurate either, since the third person can refer to a non-person, and when we say “speak in the first person”, it sounds like it is literally saying that the speaker themselves may be able to switch their personhood while they speak. What is way more plain and simple a description of what is going on is “orientation”. The orientation of an utterance depends on the “direction” the speaker has, with regards to their topic. They may be self-oriented, in which they discuss themselves; or have a direct orientation, in which they assert something directly at or to a recipient of an utterance; or an indirect orientation, in which their utterance is directed at a receiver, yet about another, outside of the frame of directly relaying some information.

1 Answer 1

4

"Person" in this sense is borrowed from Latin persōna "mask, appearance", which is calqued from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον (prósōpon) "face, countenance", which was applied to this phenomenon by Dionysius Thrax around 100 BCE.

Is it arbitrary? Absolutely. But so are most words. Why do we use any particular word to refer to something? Because someone before us did.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.