Hi everybody!

I am new here, and I probably ask a question which has already been 
answered in this newsgroup. Sorry for that.

My question is: could someone give me some references/links where to 
find more information about the use of "them" for "these/those" (is it 
something specifically used in the USA?) and especially the origin of 
it? I am aware that it belongs to the nonstandard speech, though.

Many thanks in advance.

Gourbi

On 18 Jun, 15:01, Gourbi  wrote:
> Hi everybody!
>
> I am new here, and I probably ask a question which has already been
> answered in this newsgroup. Sorry for that.
>
> My question is: could someone give me some references/links where to
> find more information about the use of "them" for "these/those" (is it
> something specifically used in the USA?) and especially the origin of
> it? I am aware that it belongs to the nonstandard speech, though.
>
> Many thanks in advance.
>
> Gourbi

Hi Gourbi!
I was hoping someone else will answer your question in a more
authentic way. Since there doesn't seem to have been a response let me
risk putting forward the following dialogue from the movie "My fair
lady". In the scene where Eiza Dolittle gets mad at Professor Higgins
she says "..and you can look for someone else to fetch you them
slippers every morning!" and Professor Higgins responds, " those
slippers..!" (And mind you, Eliza is not an American)

If you want further clarification please give me a specific situation
in which you have to decide whether it is more appropriate to use
"them" or "those".

Hi Paul!

Thank you for taking the risk of an answer.

The example you mentioned is exactly the kind I had in mind.
I'd like to get more information about the origin of this usage, similar 
to the usage of "ain't" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain%27t).

I wouldn't use the word "them" instead of "these/those" myself, unless 
I'd like to make a joke. But as I am not a native speaker, it probably 
wouldn't work, anyway.

Best
Gourbi



Paul wrote:
> On 18 Jun, 15:01, Gourbi  wrote:
>> Hi everybody!
>>
>> I am new here, and I probably ask a question which has already been
>> answered in this newsgroup. Sorry for that.
>>
>> My question is: could someone give me some references/links where to
>> find more information about the use of "them" for "these/those" (is it
>> something specifically used in the USA?) and especially the origin of
>> it? I am aware that it belongs to the nonstandard speech, though.
>>
>> Many thanks in advance.
>>
>> Gourbi
> 
> Hi Gourbi!
> I was hoping someone else will answer your question in a more
> authentic way. Since there doesn't seem to have been a response let me
> risk putting forward the following dialogue from the movie "My fair
> lady". In the scene where Eiza Dolittle gets mad at Professor Higgins
> she says "..and you can look for someone else to fetch you them
> slippers every morning!" and Professor Higgins responds, " those
> slippers..!" (And mind you, Eliza is not an American)
> 
> If you want further clarification please give me a specific situation
> in which you have to decide whether it is more appropriate to use
> "them" or "those".

In article <g3dgr4$b81$1@registered.motzarella.org>,
Gourbi   wrote:
> Hi Paul!
> 
> Thank you for taking the risk of an answer.
> 
> The example you mentioned is exactly the kind I had in mind.
> I'd like to get more information about the origin of this usage, similar 
> to the usage of "ain't" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain%27t).
> 
> I wouldn't use the word "them" instead of "these/those" myself, unless 
> I'd like to make a joke. But as I am not a native speaker, it probably 
> wouldn't work, anyway.

My take on it would be that as an adjective, "them" is poor grammar and
"these/those" should be used.

"Them" is quite properly used as a pronoun in the objective case,
although "these/those" can also be used to give emphasis or specificity.

Cheers
Tony
-- 
Tony Mountifield
Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org