Khajiit First-Person vs. Third-Person speech

Thlayli · October 2019

I was wondering if anyone knows the lore behind Khajiit speaking in third person (i.e. "this one says", "Pacrooti does not understand") versus first person? I did a little digging on TES lore sites and found some references that make it sound like Khajiit who speak in first person have to master the speech pattern (usually with some difficulty) sometimes to fit in with other races.
There seem to be quite a few first person speaking Khajiit in Southern Elsweyr compared to Northern. The first time I heard it, I was thrown for a loop, but apparently that isn't totally unheard of.

Siohwenoeht · October 2019

I'm not sure if it's entirely true, but I've always assumed it was due to how they're birthed in litters, and like cats in reality, they are hard to tell apart when young. Therefore it's "this one (of the many) says..." Could just be me though.

Aigym_Hlervu · October 2019

I'm not a specialist in the Khajiiti lore, though I've heard their language and philosophy do not allow them to speak the way we do. Or it was some sort of a mind structure that makes them speak like that.. But still there are some Khajiit who's mind seemed to be the same but their way if speaking was not the one their kin in Elsweyr used to express their thoughts. So, I have to admit that I don't know the answer to your question, OP.

I personally think the reason is also connected to some IRL resemblences the Khajiiti folk's culture is based on. Some say it resembles the one of Indian people, so it's no surprise the Khajiiti culture took some other features from that one besides architecture. I've read it some Hindu spiritually enlighted mystics like Rama Thirtha and Svami Randas used to speak the same way due to the idea of "ego rejection" philosophy. It's called Illeism IRL though and usually considered to be some sort of a psychic feature of a speaker. Some sort of egocentrism or narcissism. Anyway, I think those who knows the Khajiiti lore will tell it better than me.

Minyassa · October 2019

I would personally blame it on early translators. Some person who learned both languages a very long time ago set the precedent that the go-to personal pronoun to use with non-Khajiiti language was "this one." Heck, for all we know, their first encounter with the game's central language DID use that as a personal pronoun. So now we have most Khajiiti learning the language hearing "this one" as a personal pronoun, with a few who travel outside the home areas or learning from visitors picking up the more modern/mainstream style. That's my take on it.

Michae · October 2019

The funny thing is that the ones that speak in this third person dialect often switch fluidly between third and first person. I don't have a specific example on my mind at the moment but I did notice it when I was polishing my "Khajiit speak" for rp sessions.

waswar292 · December 2019

Thlayli wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone knows the lore behind Khajiit speaking in third person (i.e. "this one says", "Pacrooti does not understand") versus first person? I did a little digging on TES lore sites and found some references that make it sound like Khajiit who speak in first person have to master the speech pattern (usually with some difficulty) sometimes to fit in with other races.
There seem to be quite a few first person speaking Khajiit in Southern Elsweyr compared to Northern. The first time I heard it, I was thrown for a loop, but apparently that isn't totally unheard of.

Setting and context also do make a difference. Senchal is presently governed by a council largely over seen by the Imperial Legion General in the city.

Furthermore, Pellitine (southern Elsweyr) was always more cosmopolitan and aristocratic than Anequina, meaning that greater degrees of education are probable. Keep in mind that in history, ruling classes in some cases had their own languages, such as the English nobles and royalty speaking French for several generations. It wouldn't be unlikely that more refined Aristocrats are more used to contemporary speech patters in things such as first and third person.

mague · December 2019

Its either an expression of being eccentric and/or might be a heritage of former slavery.

Is is very similar to 1st and 3rd person playing. The "camera" focus is either outside of center or inside. 3rd person player also calls his character "This Nord, This Dunmer etc". It is about where your focus is from where you view the world.

Tommy_The_Gun · December 2019

I am pretty sure it has something to do with the way khajiit are raised.
In one of the quests in Southern Elsweyr:
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Another_Khajiit's_Tale
"Another Khajiit's Tale" you meet a khajiit, Zhasim, who was raised in wrothgar by orcs, and he speaks not like a khajiit but (at least from our perspective), from the lack of better term - normally.