Old Norse/Pronouns

In this chapter, the following concepts are explained:

• personal pronouns and declension
• the reflexive pronoun
• possessive pronouns
• demonstrative pronouns and declension

It is important to point out that in Old Norse, the indication of possession is not made using the genitive forms of pronouns but rather with possessive pronouns.

Personal pronouns and declension

In Old Norse, there were duals - personal pronouns used to refer to two things.

There were only two dual personal pronouns: the first person dual vit and the second person dual þit. These two duals were used like English "we" and "you" to refer to two people, thus can be translated into English "we two" and "you two".

First person pronouns

There were three first person pronouns, whose nominative forms were ek, vit and vér.

First person pronouns ek, vit and vér

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ek	vit	vér
genitive	mín	okkar	vár
dative	mér	okkr	oss
accusative	mik	okkr	oss

Second person pronouns

There were three second person pronouns, whose nominative forms were þú, (þ)it and (þ)ér.

Second person pronouns þú, (þ)it and (þ)ér

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	þú	(þ)it	(þ)ér
genitive	þín	ykkar	yð(v)ar
dative	þér	ykkr	yðr
accusative	þik	ykkr	yðr

Third person pronouns

The genders of a pronoun must match with that of the object the pronoun refers to.

Third person pronouns

	masculine		feminine		neuter
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	hann	þeir	hon	þær	þat	þau
genitive	hans	þeir(r)a	hennar	þeir(r)a	þess	þeir(r)a
dative	honum	þeim	henni	þeim	þ(v)í	þeim
accusative	hann	þá	hana	þær	þat	þau

Along with the reflexive possessive pronoun sinn, the genitive forms of the third person pronouns hans, hennar, þess, þeir(r)a are used to express possession in the third person.

The reflexive pronoun

The reflexive pronoun is used to refer to the subject of a verb.

When a third person pronoun is used in a sentence where the subject is also in the third person, the reflexive pronoun comes into use as the speaker must clarify whether the pronoun refers to another thing or the subject itself. Consider the following English sentences:

Olaf killed his dog.

It is unclear whether Olaf killed his own dog or killed some other man's dog. In Old Norse, the former is meant by using a reflexive pronoun instead of a third person pronoun:

• Óláfr drap hund sinn. Olaf killed his own dog.
• Óláfr drap hund hans. Olaf killed some other man's dog.

The reflexive pronoun

case	singular
nominative
accusative	sik
genitive	sín
dative	sér

The usage of the genitive form sín must not be confused with that of the reflexive possessive pronoun sinn.

Possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns decline like strong adjectives with one different ending -n in the masculine accusative singular.

First person pronouns

There were three first person possessive pronouns: minn "my", okkarr "our (dual)" and várr "our (plural)".

In the declension of minn, a short -i- appears before a doubled consonant, elsewhere the long -í- appears.

Declension of minn "my"

	masculine		feminine		neuter
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	minn	mínir	mín	mínar	mitt	mín
genitive	míns	minna	minnar	minna	míns	minna
dative	mínum	mínum	minni	mínum	mínu	mínum
accusative	minn	mína	mína	mínar	mitt	mín

Okkarr follows the rule of syncope, i.e. the vowel in its second syllable is reduced when the ending contains a vowel.

Second person pronouns

There were three second person possessive pronouns: þinn "your", ykkarr "your (dual)" and yð(v)arr "your (plural)".

Declension of þinn "Your"

	masculine		feminine		neuter
Case	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	þinn	þinir	þin	þinar	þitt	þin
Genitive	þins	þinna	þinnar	þinna	þins	þinna
Dative	þinum	þinum	þinni	þinum	þinu	þinum
Accusative	þinn	þina	þina	þinnar	þitt	þin

Reflexive possessive pronoun sinn

The reflexive possessive pronoun sinn is used when the noun in possession is possessed by the same noun, which was referred to in the third person previously. Otherwise, the genitive form a third personal pronoun is used to indicate possession. Consider the following sentences, and notice how sinn declines by the case and number of fjándi "foe":

• Óláfr sló sína fjánda. Olaf slayed his own foemen.
• Óláfr sló hans fjánda. Olaf slayed some other one's foemen.