I've noticed in both Skyrim and Elder Scrolls Online that Khajiit don't use first-person pronouns, instead saying things like "Khajiit will follow" or "this one will head north."
Is there a reason for this in the series' lore?
the-elder-scrolls-series
I've noticed in both Skyrim and Elder Scrolls Online that Khajiit don't use first-person pronouns, instead saying things like "Khajiit will follow" or "this one will head north."
Is there a reason for this in the series' lore?
Best Answer
Khajiit sometimes do speak in the first-person
For instance, the following in-game writings have it:
Sometimes they mix using third-person and first-person, even in the same sentence!
So why do they usually speak in the third-person?
The most direct answer we get is from the Khajiit named Pacrooti, found in The Elder Scrolls Online:
This suggests that speaking in the first-person is not a natural part of Ta'agra, the Khajiit language, and that some Khajiit struggle with doing it. Furthermore, there is a belief that speaking in the first-person is a defining attribute of Men and Mer (i.e. elves) and that Khajiit who adopt this may appear to be Khajiit on the outside, but are not actually behaving like one.
There is also an explanation in the in-game book Ahzirr Traajijazeri, written by an anonymous Khajiit (and which extensively uses the first-person), but it's not clear if it is true or to what extent it applies to language:
If we take this writing as truth (and being propaganda, it's not clear that we should), then it would suggest that the Khajiit do not naturally think about themselves. If this were reflected in the language, then it would explain why there would be no first-person constructs in their own language because they think about themselves the same way that they think about others. Additionally, Khajiit philosophy is more understood than talked about, meaning that they are not accustomed to explaining their perspectives.