Wir Ain Leed

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns indicate who possesses (owns) something.

  1. Used attributively

      Singular Plural
    1. Person: ma my wir, oor our
    2. Person yer, your your yer, your your
    3. Person his his thair their
    3. Person her her
    3. Person its, hits* its
    *Emphatic form.

    The older second person singular thy, [ðai] in Southern Scots, or thee, [ði] in Northern and [di:] in Insular Scots, stil survives to some extent. The from thine only survives in Insular Scots as 'dine(s)s'. Where thy/thee and thine(s) are used as the familiar form by parents speaking to children, elders to youngsters, or between friends or equals and your(s) used formally when speaking to a superior or when a youngster addresses an elder.

    His may be contracted 's in unemphatic positions.
    Jeams sang for's daily breid.
    James sang for his daily bread.
    He'll no tak ane o's dugs.
    He'll not take one of his dogs.
    He left wi's ain coat.
    He left with his own coat.
    He's awa tae's wark.
    He's off to work.

    Although the following qualitative nouns are singular the possessive pronoun referring to them is used in the plural.

    Awbody haes thair ain draff-poke tae cairy.
    Everyone has his (or her) own draff-sack to carry.
    Whan a body's wrang wi thair mynd.
    When a person is wrong in his (or her) mind.
    Somebody's left thair fitmerks ahint thaim.
    Someone has left his (or her) footmarks behind them.
    It's no aft onybody finds thair wey here.
    It is seldom that anyone finds their way here.

    Ilka's tae dae thair bit for the kirk fête.
    Everyone has to do his (or her) bit for the church fête.

    Note the following usage of possessive pronouns.

    Come awa tae yer tea.
    Come along to tea.
    A haena gotten ma denner yet.
    I haven't had (got) dinner yet.
    He's awa hame til his supper.
    He has gone home for supper.

  2. Used predictively or absolutely.

      Singular Plural
    1. Person singular: mines mine wirs / *oors ours
    2. Person singular: yours yours yours yours
    3. Person singular: his
    hers
    its, *hits
    his
    hers
    its
    thairs theirs
    *Emphatic forms.

    That's ma auld touer.
    That is my old tower.
    That auld byre's mines.
    That that old cow shed is mine.
    Hit's nae guid ava.
    It's no good at all.
    Are ye siccar that's yours?
    Are you sure that is yours?
    Yer hoose is fawin doun but thairs isna.
    Your house is falling down but theirs isn't.
    Thair schame for tae mak siller's mair better nor his.
    Their plan to make money is better than his.
    Lippen til her, she kens wir thochties anent it.
    Trust her, she knows our ideas about it.

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