E/N Pronouns: Self-reference and Social Deixis in Translation

Abstract

The present paper is a discussion of one of the most prominent illustrations of pronominal social deixis; this is the Royal we (aka royal plural, Plural of Majesty, Majestic Plural, Pluralis Majestatis), used for self-reference by monarchs or some individuals of very high rank. Initially, it touches upon the emergence of this usage; afterwards, the paper deals with adequate designations for related items, re-introducing the symbols E/N for the singular/Plural of Majesty opposition. Finally, there is an analysis of translation-related problems of the phenomenon in point based on the text of Amiran-Darejaniani, a medieval Georgian epic, and its English translation.