Both: A Device for Individualizing Reference to Two-Person Collectivities.

This paper analyzes the place of 'both' in references to persons: we examine 'both' as it is deployed as part of collective self-reference, but also explore its use in other forms of collective reference. Our analysis shows that when speakers use collective person reference formulations (e.g. 'we', 'they') they are designed to refer to a collectivity (e.g. a couple) and not to the persons who comprise the collectivity. However, recurrently, when the sequential environment makes it relevant for speakers to refer to the persons who comprise the collectivity (rather than to the collectivity per se), but refer to them together, then they include 'both' in the formulation. This can be seen in the following cases: [Holt: M88:1:5] Les: .hhhh _Oh::. No:w. Which part'v Kent d'you come from. Rob: Sevenoa-:ks. Les: .tlk .hhhh Oh:::: do you e= Rob: =Ye:s? Les: Oh:: uh-my husband'n I both went to Maidstone grammar school. Rob: Good heavens. [Land NE2 p. 15 line 06] Kar: .hhh So but anyway yihknow w-we both said like we'd stay in touch cause uh just ( ) wonderful person yihknow really good conversationalist an' .hhh very interesting= Ben: =Wh[ere is she from ] Kar: [interesting person] In case 1, Les and her husband each attended the same grammar school, but of course they did not do so as a couple, and in case 2 "staying in touch" entails the separate intentions and actions of each person and not of the collectivity. Moreover, our analysis shows that 'both' is regularly used when some type of actual or potential "falling out" or "disagreement" between members of the collectivity is being formulated. Once this usage has been identified, then it can also be seen to operate in less obvious environments, as in the following case. [HB05] Den: ...And I'm uhm at the moment certainly uhm my husband and I are both very very keen on a home (.) birth Here, Denise is attempting to establish that both she and her husband, as individuals, are strongly in favor of a home birth. She uses 'both' here to indicate her husband's independent stance on the matter. The use of 'both' in forms of collective self-reference such as "we both" and "my husband and I both" allows a collective self-reference form to be used in a manner that both connects and then segregates the members of the collectivity for the matter at hand. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]