Niw Englisch/Grammar/Pronouns

Niw Englisc is based on the same pronouns of Old English, carried forward today:

First Person Pronoun

	I	We two	We
Nominative	ic	wit	wiȝ
Genitive	mein	unker	user
Dative	miȝ	unk	us
Accusative	mic	unkit	usic

Ȝȝ

Second Person Pronoun

	Thou	Ye two	Ye
Nominative	þu	ȝit	ȝiȝ
Genitive	þein	inker	ȝuer
Dative	þiȝ	ink	ȝu
Accusative	þic	inkit	ȝuic

Note: it is grammatically correct to use ȝit when referring to two people as a pair, rather than ȝiȝ.

Third Person Pronoun

	He	She	It	They
Nominative	he	scie	it	hje
Genitive	his	her	his	hjer
Dative	him	her	him	hjem
Accusative	hin	scie/sca	it	hje

Note: Third person pronouns agree in gender with the noun they reference, be it masculine, feminine, or plural.

Examples:

• He is an Hund. It is a dog.
• Scie is ane Rose. It is a rose.

In these cases, the pronoun used (he, scie) agrees with the grammatical gender of the noun, even though modern English uses 'it' in both cases.

Question Words: Who? What?

These words are similar to modern English, but with the question word agreeing in gender to the noun referenced. Who is used with persons, and What with things.

Third Person Pronoun

	Who?	What?
Nominative	ƕa	ƕat
Genitive	ƕas	ƕas
Dative	ƕam	ƕam
Accusative	ƕan	ƕat

Examples:

• Ƕa is scie? Who is she?
• Ƕat is þat Þing? What is that thing?

Demonstrative Pronouns

Þe, Þat

þe

	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	þe	þat	þie	þie
Genitive	þes	þes	þer	þer
Dative	þem	þem	þer	þen
Accusative	þen	þat	þie	þie

This pronoun can be translated as "the" or "that"

Þis

þis

	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	þis	þis	þisse	þisse
Genitive	þisses	þisses	þisser	þisser
Dative	þissem	þissem	þisser	þissen
Accusative	þissen	þis	þisse	þisse

This demonstrative pronoun can be translated as "this" indicating something close by the speaker, as opposed to "þe" or further, "ȝon."

Ȝon

ȝon

	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	ȝon	ȝon	ȝone	ȝone
Genitive	ȝones	ȝones	ȝoner	ȝoner
Dative	ȝonem	ȝonem	ȝoner	ȝonen
Accusative	ȝonen	ȝon	ȝone	ȝone

This demonstrative pronoun can be translated as "that one (over there)" and indicates a farther distance than 'þe' either spatially or conversationally.

Example:

• Ic was in ȝoner Burg. I was in that city over there.
• Ic was in ȝoner Burg, na þisser Burg. I was in that city over there, not this city.
• Scie sprak ȝestern um ȝon Auto, and um þis Auto todæȝ. She spoke about that car yesterday, and this car today.

Each, Every

ælc

	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	ælc	ælc	ælce	ælce
Genitive	ælces	ælces	ælcer	ælcer
Dative	ælcem	ælcem	ælcer	ælcen
Accusative	ælcen	ælc	ælce	ælce

This is an adjective that acts like a demonstrative. It is used like English 'each' or German 'jeder'.

Example:

• Ælc Auto hæfþ AC. Each car has AC.
• Innen ælces Huses findeþ man Glowperen. Inside of each house one finds lightbulbs.

Every one, Everything

ælc

	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine
Nominative	Æȝƕa	Æȝƕat	Æȝƕa
Genitive	Æȝƕas	Æȝƕas	Æȝƕas
Dative	Æȝƕam	Æȝƕam	Æȝƕam
Accusative	Æȝƕan	Æȝƕat	Æȝƕan

Every (adj)

ælc

	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	Æȝƕilc	Æȝƕilc	Æȝƕilce	Æȝƕilce
Genitive	Æȝƕilces	Æȝƕilces	Æȝƕilcer	Æȝƕilcer
Dative	Æȝƕilcem	Æȝƕilcem	Æȝƕilcer	Æȝƕilcen
Accusative	Æȝƕilcen	Æȝƕilc	Æȝƕilce	Æȝƕilce

Example:

• Every car is white: Æȝƕilc Auto is ƕeit.
• All cars can drive on the road: Æȝƕilce/Alle Autos kunneþ on þer Raad faren. Usually all is used to emphasize the group as a whole, while æȝƕilc emphasizes each individual of that group.

Other Pronouns

• Declined like an adjective:
  • Æƕæðer: someone, any one
  • Æniȝ: any
  • Nan: none
  • Næniȝ: none, not any
  • Ƕæðer: which of two?
  • Ƕilc: which of many?
  • Ilc: the same; used with the definite article (þeilc, þesilcen, þemilcen)
  • Naƕæðer: neither (of two)
  • Natƕilc: someone (unknown)
  • Swilc: such, the same, the like
  • Þilc: such; (closer to the speaker, more concrete than 'swilc')
• Declined like pronouns:
  • Geƕa: everyone
  • Natƕa: someone (unknown)

Ȝȝ