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Forenaman sind gebrýced tó spelienne naman. Híe ne sind níed ferses, and is mihtiglic þæt man híe ne brýcþ in fersum. However, they are useful because sentences look silly without them. For example, the sentence:

  • Alistair is doing what Alistair thinks is best for Alistair's right as a human being.

There are no pronouns in that above sentence, and as such, it looks silly. Pronouns are words like "I, me, you, he, she, they, it." For example:

  • Þu are silly.
  • Ic neom silly.
  • is not silly.
  • are not silly.
  • Híe are silly.

They allow sentences to be easier to understand.

  • There are different types of pronouns:
    • Forman háda forenaman
    • Óðeres háda forenaman
    • Þriddan háda forenaman.
  • Pronouns change depending on what part of the sentence they replace. They can be the subject (the person or thing doing the action described), the object (anyone or anything that isn't the subject), and they can be used to mark ownership or possession.
  • Pronouns also change depending on whether they refer to one person or thing (singular) or a group of people or things (plural).
  • First person pronouns are used when referring to oneself, for example:
    • I think I am not silly.
    • Singular. As a subject, I (this is always a capital letter). As an object, me. As a possessive, my.
    • Twifealdlic. Swá subject, Wit.
    • Plural. As a subject, we. As an object, us. As a possessive, our.
  • Second person pronouns are used to refer to someone who you are conversing with, the person the sentence is intended to be heard by. For example:
    • You are not very silly.
    • Second person singular is not commonly used in modern English. Use a plural form always. As a subject or an object, you. As a possessive, your.
  • Third person pronouns are used when referring to something else that is outside the conversation, either some other person, or an object not capable of understanding or communicating. For example:
    • I don't like the tree because it is mean to me.
    • I don't like the RIAA because they sue me.
    • Third person singular pronouns are the only pronouns marked for gender. If gender is unknown, use 'he or she' or use a plural. Never use the neuter pronouns to refer to people, because it is considered rude. In English, unlike many languages, gender is usually only used to describe things that have a definite gender, like people or cats.
    • Singular (in form masculine/feminine/neuter). As a subject, he/she/it. As an object, him/her/it. As a possessive, his/her/its.
    • Plural. As a subject, they. As an object, them. As a possessive, their.


A Pronoun is a word used in stead of a noun: as, The boy loves his book; he has long lessons, and he learns them well.

The pronouns in our language are twenty-four; and their variations are thirty-two: so that the number of words of this class, is fifty-six.

Pronouns are divided into three classes; personal, relative, and interrogative.

A personal pronoun is a pronoun that shows, by its form, of what person it is; as,

"Whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed."--1 Cor., xv, 11.

The simple personal pronouns are five: namely, I, of the first person; thou, of the second person; he, she, and it, of the third person.

The compound personal pronouns are also five: namely, myself, of the first person; thyself, of the second person; himself, herself, and itself, of the third person.

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that represents an antecedent word or phrase, and connects different clauses of a sentence; as,

"No people can be great, who have ceased to be virtuous."--Dr. Johnson.

The relative pronouns are who, which, what, that, as, and the compounds whoever or whosoever, whichever or whichsoever, whatever or whatsoever.

What is a kind of double relative, equivalent to that which or those which; and is to be parsed, first as antecedent, and then as relative: as,

"This is what I wanted; that is to say, the thing which I wanted."--L. Murray. III.

An interrogative pronoun is a pronoun with which a question is asked; as, "Who touched my clothes?"--Mark, v, 30.

The interrogative pronouns are who, which, and what; being the same in form as relatives.

Who demands a person's name; which, that a person or thing be distinguished from others; what, the name of a thing, or a person's occupation and character.

Pronouns have the same modifications as nouns; namely, Persons, Numbers, Genders, and Cases. Definitions universally applicable have already been given of all these things; it is therefore unnecessary to define them again in this place.

The declension of a pronoun is a regular arrangement of its numbers and cases.

Ānfealde mennisce.

Þā ānfealdan menniscan bīnaman sind ‏þus declīnod:--

IC, þæs FORMAN HĀDA, ǣnig þāra cynna.

Ānf.  Nem.  ic             Twf. Nem.  wit             Mnf. Nem.  wē
      Āgn.  mīn                 Āgn.  uncer                Āgn.  ūsere oþþe ūre
      For.  mē                  For.  unc                  For.  ūs
      Wrē.  mec                 Wrē.  uncit                Wrē.  ūsic

ÞU, þæs ŌÐERES HĀDA, ǣnig þāra cynna.

Ānf.  Nem.  þu             Twf. Nem.  git             Mnf. Nem.  gē
      Āgn.  þīn                 Āgn.  incer                Āgn.  ēower
      For.  þē                  For.  inc                  For.  ēow
      Wrē.  þec                 Wrē.  incit                Wrē.  ēowic

HĒ, þæs ÞRIDDAN HĀDA, werlic cynn.

Ānf.  Nem.  hē             Mnf. Nem.  hīe
      Āgn.  his                 Āgn.  hira
      For.  him                 For.  him, heom
      Wrē.  hine                Wrē.  hīe

HĒO, þæs ÞRIDDAN HĀDA, wīflic cynn.

Ānf.  Nem.  hēo            Mnf. Nem.  hīe
      Āgn.  hire                Āgn.  hira
      For.  hire                For.  him, heom
      Wrē.  hīe                 Wrē.  hīe

HIT, þæs ÞRIDDAN HĀDA, nāhwæðer cynn.

Ānf.  Nem.  hit            Mnf. Nem.  hīe
      Āgn.  his                 Āgn.  hira
      For.  him                 For.  him, heom
      Wrē.  hit                 Wrē.  hīe

Compound personals.

The word self, added to the simple personal pronouns, forms the class of compound personal pronouns; which are used when an action reverts upon the agent, and also when some persons are to be distinguished from others: as, sing, myself, plur. ourselves; sing, thyself, plur. yourselves; sing, himself, plur. themselves; sing, herself, plur. themselves; sing, itself, plur. themselves. They all want the possessive case, and are alike in the nominative and objective. Thus:--

MYSELF, of the FIRST PERSON, any of the genders.

Sing. Nom.  myself,   Plur. Nom.  ourselves,
      Poss. ------,         Poss. ---------,
      Obj.  myself;         Obj.  ourselves.

YOURSELF, of the SECOND PERSON, any of the genders.

Plur. Nom.  yourselves,
      Poss. ----------,
      Obj.  yourselves.

HIMSELF, of the THIRD PERSON, masculine gender.

Sing. Nom.  himself,  Plur. Nom.  themselves,
      Poss. -------,        Poss. ----------,
      Obj.  himself;        Obj. themselves.

HERSELF, of the THIRD PERSON, feminine gender.

Sing. Nom.  herself   Plur. Nom.  themselves,
      Poss. -------,        Poss. ----------,
      Obj.  herself;        Obj.  themselves.

ITSELF, of the THIRD PERSON, neuter gender.

Sing. Nom.  itself,   Plur. Nom.  themselves,
      Poss. ------,         Poss. ----------,
      Obj.  itself;         Obj.  themselves.

Gēancierrendlice and Āsciendlice.

The relative and the interrogative pronouns are thus declined:--

HWĀ, tōgedōn mid werlicum and wīflicum namum.

Ānf.  Nem.  hwā            Mnf. Nem.  hwā
      Āgn.  hwæs                Āgn.  hwæs
      For.  hwǣm                For.  hwǣm
      Wrē.  hwone               Wrē.  hwone

HWÆT, tōgedōn mid nāhwæðerum namum.

Sing. Nom.  what,     Plur. Nom.  what,
      Poss. ----,           Poss. ----,
      Obj.  what;           Obj.  what.

HWILC, tōgedōn mid werlicum, wīflicum, and nāhwæðerum namum, swā tōgeīecendlicu word.

	    Wer        þing      wīf			      Wer     wīf     þing
Ānf.  Nem.  hwilc     hwilc     hwilc             Mnf. Nem.  hwilce  hwilca  hwilc
      Āgn.  hwilces   hwilces   hwilcre                Āgn.  hwilcra
      For.  hwilcum   hwilcum   hwilcre                For.  hwilcum
      Mid.  hwilce    hwilce    hwilcre                Mid.  hwilcum
      Wrē.  hwilcne   hwilc     hwilce                 Wrē.  hwilce  hwilca  hwilc

SĒ, tōgedōn tō menniscum, dēorum, and þingum þæs werlicum hāda.

Ānf.  Nem.  sē             Mnf. Nem.  þā
      Āgn.  þæs                 Āgn.  þāra
      For.  þǣm                 For.  þǣm
      Wrē.  þone                Wrē.  þā

SĒO, tōgedōn tō menniscum, dēorum, and þingum þæs wīflicum hāda.

Ānf.  Nem.  sēo            Mnf. Nem.  þā
      Āgn.  þǣre                Āgn.  þāra
      For.  þǣre                For.  þǣm
      Wrē.  þā                  Wrē.  þā

ÞÆT, tōgedōn tō menniscum, dēorum, and þingum þæs nāhwæðerum hāda.

Ānf.  Nem.  þæt              Mnf. Nem.  þā
      Āgn.  þæs                   Āgn.  þāra
      For.  þǣm                   For.  þǣm
      Wrē.  þæt                   Wrē.  þā

Compound relatives.

The compound relative pronouns, whoever or whosoever, whichever or whichsoever, and whatever or whatsoever are declined in the same manner as the simples, who which, what. Thus:--

SWÁ HWÁ SWÁ oþþe SWÁ HWÆT SWÁ, tógedón tó menniscum and þingum.

Ánf. Nem.  swá hwá swá,   Mnf. Nem.  swá hwá swá,
     Ágn.  swá hwæs swá,       Ágn.  swá hwæs swá,
     For.  swá hwǽm swá,       For.  swá hwǽm swá,
     Wré.  swá hwone swá;      Wré.  swá hwone swá.

Ánf. Nem.  swá hwæt swá,  Mnf. Nem.  swá hwæt swá,
     Ágn.  swá hwæs swá,       Ágn.  swá hwæs swá,
     For.  swá hwǽm swá,       For.  swá hwǽm swá,
     Wré.  swá hwæt swá;       Wré.  swá hwæt swá.

WHICHEVER or WHICHSOEVER, applied to persons,
animals, and things.

Sing. Nom.  whichever,   Plur. Nom.  whichever,
      Poss. ---------,         Poss. --------,
      Obj.  whichever;         Obj.  whichever.

Sing. Nom.  whichsoever, Plur. Nom.  whichsoever,
      Poss. ---------,         Poss. --------,
      Obj.  whichsoever;       Obj.  whichsoever.

WHATEVER or WHATSOEVER, applied ordinarily to 
things only.

Sing. Nom.  whatever,    Plur. Nom.  whatever,
      Poss. --------,          Poss. --------,
      Obj.  whatever;          Obj.  whatever.

Sing. Nom.  whatsoever,  Plur. Nom.  whatsoever,
      Poss. ---------,         Poss. --------,
      Obj.  whatsoever;        Obj.  whatsoever.

HWÁ ELLES oþþe HWÆT ELLES, applied ordinarily to 
things only.

Ánf. Nem.  hwá elles,     Mnf. Nem.  hwá elles,
     Ágn.  hwæs elles,         Ágn.  hwæs elles,
     For.  hwǽm elles,         For.  hwǽm elles,
     Wré.  hwone elles;        Wré.  hwone elles.

Ánf. Nem.  hwæt elles,    Mnf. Nem.  hwæt elles,
     Ágn.  hwæs elles,         Ágn.  hwæs elles,
     For.  hwǽm elles,         For.  hwǽm elles,
     Wré.  hwæt elles;         Wré.  hwæt elles.

Ya'll

The pronoun ya'll, or y'all is a contraction of "you all". It is traditionally used in the south of the United States, where in the north you all is more common. Ya'll follows the same conjugation rules as they.

A part of the text in this article, was taken from the public domain English grammar "The Grammar of English Grammars" by Goold Brown, 1851.