Reflexive pronouns

Relative pronouns

Indefinite pronouns

Interrogative pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns

Personal pronouns

OE Pronouns

 

According to the traditional definition, a pronoun is a word used in place of a noun (a modern term – anaphoric pronouns). However, some pronouns work like adjectives, modifying the meaning of a noun (indefinite, negative pronouns). OE pronouns are of 6 types: personal, demonstrative (anaphoric), interrogative, indefinite, reflexive, and possessive.

 

 

Personal pronouns (OE Ic, þū, he, heo, hit; MnE I, you, she, he, it) refer to specific objects and are marked for person - the 1 person referring to the speaker, the 2nd person to someone or something the speaker is addressing, and the 3rd person refers to any other thing. They are declined according to number and case, the gender being distinguished in the 3 person pronouns. OE dual pronouns are wit we two and git you two. (Make grammar charts).

 

 

Demonstrative pronouns point out specific things (OE sē that тот, þæt то, sēō та; đes this этот, đis это, đēōs эта; MnE that, this). The demonstrative meaning of the pronouns sē, þæt, sēō is weakened (rus. тот), so it approaches the status of an article: sē mann the man. The meaning of the pronouns đes this, đis, đēōs is a clear demonstrative meaning (rus. этот). The demonstrative pronouns are declined. they have their own pronominal declension.

OE used a demonstrative where we now use the definite article and the MnE definite article is by its origin a demonstrative pronoun.

 

 

Interrogative pronouns introduce questions. The most common OE interrogatives are hwa who, hwæt what, hwelc which. They are declined like the demonstratives.

 

 

Indefinite pronouns comprise a large roup of items that indicate that we are speaking about one or more members of some category of things but do not specify exactly which: man "one", ænig "any", nan "none", hwa "anyone, someone", sum "some", eall "all", elc "each", swelc "such". Modern examples are all, any, anyone, each, few, many, none, something. The indefinites are declined like the demonstratives.

 

 

Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses. OE used the particle þe, the demonstrative pronoun sē, or a combination sē þe for these purposes (тот, который). In MnE the most common relatives are that and who.

 

 

Reflexive pronouns are used in the complement of a clause or sentence to refer to the same thing as the subject. OE commonly uses the word self or the accusative or dative of a personal pronoun (mē меня, þē тебя, ūs нас).

Possessive pronouns

 

Possessive pronouns are derived from the genitive case of the personal pronouns of all persons and numbers. The possessive pronouns are min мой, þin твой, ūre наш, ēōwer ваш, hiera их.