http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aPhobias+tag%3aPronouns&tag=Phobias,Pronouns&orTags=0Search results for 'tag:Phobias tag:Pronouns' matching tags 'Phobias' and 'Pronouns'en-USCSMOD (Build: 3191.21962)http://www.englishforums.com/English/ToWhomWhom/6/xgdj/Post.htm#70576Fri, 28 Jan 2005 12:20:19 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:70576MrPedanticHello Paco <br /> <br />'To + whom?' as 'clarification where object and indirect pronouns are indistinguishable' is quite persuasive. <br /> <br />Your comment on the fact that 'whom?' originally derives from the dative (rather than 'hwane'/'hwone') makes me wonder whether that's why English native speakers have such resistance to it. <br /> <br />Obviously 3-year-old ENLs don't know the history of the word; but I doubt whether many mothers would say 'whom can you see? is it Daddy?' to their arm-waving infants. (And 800 years makes whom-ophobia a lot younger than arachnophobia.) <br /> <br />I think I could live with 'whom? ~ wem?', with a little practice; whereas 'whom? ~ wen?' has always troubled me. <br /> <br />MrP