Reflexive Pronouns

1. Reflexive pronouns indicate that the action turns back upon the subject.

   The reflexive pronouns are formed by adding sel to the possessives. The suffix sel is usually used collectively and the suffix sels individually.

   	Singular		Plural
   1. Person:	masel	myself	wirsel(s), *oorsel(s)	ourselves
   2. Person:	yersel	yourself	yersel(s)	yourselves
   3. Person:	himsel, hissel* hersel itsel, hitsel*	himself herself itself	thaimsel(s) thairsel(s)	themselves
   *Emphatic forms.

   He wis twa year younger nor masel. He was two years younger than me.
   Coud ye dae that yersels? Could you do that yourselves?
   Masel an Dauvit gaed hame. David and I went home.
   Gin it wisna for masel it wadna hae happent. If it wasn't for me it wouldn't have happened.
   A telt ye we micht can mend it wirsel. I told you we may be able to repair it ourselves.
   Gang awa yer twa sels. Go away both of you.	Weel, it'll no mend itsel. Well, it won't repair itself.
   Ma brither kens fowk that mends awthing thairsels. My brother knows people who repair every thing themselves.
   We can dae awthing wirsels. We can do everything ourselves.

   Sel(s) may be used independently.

   Gang awa yer twa sels. Go away both of you.

   Fair play tells the sel o it. Fair play speaks for itself.

   Your lad's juist the sel o ye. Your boy is just like yourself.

2. The reflexive pronoun can be intensified by inserting ma ain or mine ain before sel. The form my nain is the result of a wrong division of mine ain.

   A made it aw ma ain sel I made it entirely by myself.

   Gie's the scissor an A'll cut it mine ain sel. Give me the scissors and I'll cut it myself.

3. The possessive of the reflexive pronoun is formed by adding ain to the possessive form of the simple pronoun.

   That's ma ain dug. That is my (own) dog.

   She canna thole her ain fowk. She can't endure her own people.

4. The word lane or lee lane, plural lanes is used in much the same way as sel.

   She wis sittin her lane. She was sitting by herself.	A wis aw ma lee lane. I was by myself. (all alone)
   We gaed wir lanes. We went by ourselves.	He leeved his lane. He lived alone.
   Thay stuid thir lane. They stood by themselves.	The auld aik stuid its lane. The old oak stood by itself.
   Gin ye'd hae telt him he wad hae stuid by his lane. If you had told him he would have stood alone.
   Is she by her lane? Is she on her own?

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