The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown (free ebook reader .txt) 📕

OBS. 5.—That the pronouns of the first and second persons are sometimes masculine and sometimes feminine, is perfectly certain; but whether they can or cannot be neuter, is a question difficult to be decided. To things inanimate they are applied only figuratively; and the question is, whether the figure always necessarily changes the gender of the antecedent noun. We assume the general principle, that the noun and its pronoun are always of the same gender; and we know that when inanimate objects are personified in the third person, they are usually represented as masculine or feminine, the gender being changed by the figure. But when a lifeless object is spoken to in the second person, or represented as speaking in the first, as the pronouns here employed are in themselves without distinction of gender, no such change can be proved by the mere words; and, if we allow that it would be needless to imagine it where the words do not prove it, the gender of these pronouns must in such cases be neuter, because we have no ground to think it otherwise. Examples: "And Jesus answered and said unto it, [the barren figtree,] No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever."—Mark, xi, 14. "O earth, cover not thou my blood."—Job, xvi, 18. "O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet?"—Jeremiah, xlvii, 6. In these instances, the objects addressed do not appear to be figuratively invested with the attribute of sex. So likewise with respect to the first person. If, in the following example, gold and diamond are neuter, so is the pronoun me; and, if not neuter, of what gender are they? The personification indicates or discriminates no other.

   "Where thy true treasure? Gold says, 'Not in me;
    And, 'Not in me,' the diamond. Gold is poor."—Young.

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

The simple personal pronouns are thus declined:—

I, of the FIRST PERSON, any of the genders.[198]

Sing. Nom. I, Plur. Nom. we,
      Poss. my, or mine,[199] Poss. our, or ours,
      Obj. me; Obj. us.

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

Sing. Nom. thou,[200] Plur. Nom. ye, or you,
      Poss. thy, or thine, Poss. your, or yours,
      Obj. thee; Obj. you, or ye.[201]

HE, of the THIRD PERSON, masculine gender.

Sing. Nom. he, Plur. Nom. they,
      Poss. his, Poss. their, or theirs,
      Obj. him; Obj. them.

SHE, of the THIRD PERSON, feminine gender.

Sing. Nom. she, Plur. Nom. they,
      Poss. her, or hers, Poss. their, or theirs,
      Obj. her; Obj. them.

IT, of the THIRD PERSON, neuter gender.

Sing. Nom, it, Plur. Nom. they,
      Poss. its, Poss. their, or theirs,
      Obj. it; Obj. them.

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,[202] any of the genders.

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

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

Sing. Nom. thyself,[203] Plur. Nom. yourselves,
      Poss. ———-, Poss. —————,
      Obj. thyself; 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.

The relative and the interrogative pronouns are thus declined:—

WHO, literally applied to persons only.

Sing. Nom. who, Plur. Nom. who,
      Poss. whose, Poss. whose,
      Obj. whom; Obj. whom.

WHICH, applied to animals and things.

Sing. Nom. which, Plur. Nom. which,
      Poss. [204]—, Poss. ——-,
      Obj. which; Obj. which.

WHAT, applied ordinarily to things only.[205]

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

THAT, applied to persons, animals, and things.

Sing. Nom. that, Plur. Nom. that,
      Poss. ——, Poss. ——,
      Obj. that; Obj. that.

AS, applied to persons, animals, and things.

Sing. Nom. as, Plur. Nom. as,
      Poss. ——, Poss. ——,
      Obj. as; Obj. as.

The compound relative pronouns, whoever or whosoever, whichever or whichsoever, and whatever or whatsoever[206] are declined in the same manner as the simples, who which, what. Thus:—

WHOEVER or WHOSOEVER, applied only to persons.

Sing. Nom. whoever, Plur. Nom. whoever,
      Poss. whosever, Poss. whosever,
      Obj. whomever; Obj. whomever.

Sing. Nom. whosoever, Plur. Nom. whosoever,
      Poss. whosesoever, Poss. whosesoever,
      Obj. whomsoever; Obj. whomsoever.

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.

OBS. 1.—Most of the personal pronouns have two forms of the possessive case, in each number: as, my or mine, our or ours; thy or thine, your or yours; her or hers, their or theirs. The former is used before a noun