Wir Ain Leed — Possesive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns indicate who possesses (owns) something.

Arbroath, Angus

Used attributively

Singular

Plural

1. Person:

wir, oor

our

2. Person:

yer, your

your

yer, your

your

3. Person:

his

thair

their

3. Person:

her

3. Person:

its, hits*

its

*Emphatic form.

The older second person singular thy, [ðai] in Southern Scots, or thee, [ði] in Northern and [diː] 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.

The older form thy (second person singular) survived in most dialects until the mid-nineteenth century and still exists to some extent in Southern, North Northern ('thee') and Insular ('dee') varieties.

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 own draff-sack (i.e. fault) to carry.

Somebody's left thair fitmerks ahint thaim.
Someone has left his footprints behind him.

It's no aft onybody finds thair wey here.
It is seldom that anyone finds his way here.

Ilk ane's tae dae thair bit for the kirk fête.
Everyone has to do his bit for the church fête.

Selkirk, Borders

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 lunch yet.

He's awa hame til his supper.
He has gone home for supper.

Used predictively or absolutely

Singular

Plural

1. Person singular:

mines

mine

wirs / *oors

ours

2. Person singular:

yours

3. Person singular:

his
hers
its, *hits

his
hers
its

thairs

theirs

*Emphatic forms.

The older form thine survives only in Insular varieties as 'dine(s)', where thy 'dy' 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) is used formally when speaking to a superior or when a younger person addresses an elder.

That's ma auld tour.
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?

Yerhoose 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.

her; she kens wir thochties anent it.
Trust her; she knows our ideas about it.