4. The word his itself must be accounted for; and that cannot be done by assuming to be he + his.
5. The -s in father's is the -is in patris, and the -ος in πατέρος.
[§ 501]. The preceding examples illustrate an apparent paradox, viz., the fact of pleonasm and ellipsis being closely allied. The king he is just, dealt with as a single sentence, is undoubtedly pleonastic. But it is not necessary to be considered as a mere simple sentence. The king—may represent a first sentence incomplete, whilst he is just represents a second sentence in full. What is pleonasm in a single sentence, is ellipsis in a double one.
CHAPTER V.
THE TRUE PERSONAL PRONOUNS.
[§ 502]. Personal pronouns.—The use of the second person plural instead of the second singular has been noticed in p. [246]. This use of one number for another is current throughout the Gothic languages. A pronoun so used is conveniently called the pronomen reverentiæ.
[§ 503]. In English, however, there is a second change over and above the change of number, viz. that of case. We not only say ye instead of thou, but you instead of ye.—(See p. [245]).
Mr. Guest remarks, "that at one time the two forms ye and you seem to have been nearly changing place in our language.