The Evolution of English Personal Pronouns

Changes in English Personal Pronouns

The system of personal pronouns in English has undergone significant changes from the Modern English period to the present day. These shifts reflect phonological developments, social conventions, and the standardization of the language.

First-Person Singular: 'I' and 'My'/'Mine'

The first-person singular pronoun is now consistently capitalized as 'I'. The exact reason for this capitalization is unknown, but it has been a standard feature since its early appearances. A notable change occurred with the possessive forms my and mine.

Historically, my and thy were used before words starting with a consonant, while mine and thine were used before vowels. Over time, confusion arose from this phonological distinction, leading to a process known as metanalysis, where the 'n' was reinterpreted as part of the following noun. For example, mine uncle could be misheard as my nuncle.

Attributive vs. Nominal Possessives

A clear distinction between attributive and nominal possessive pronouns solidified around the 18th century. The attributive form acts as an adjective (e.g., "my book"), while the nominal form functions as a noun (e.g., "the book is mine").

• Attributive Forms: my, thy, his, her, its
• Nominal Forms: mine, thine, his, hers, its

The Neuter Possessive: 'Its'

Since the Old English period, the masculine and neuter genders shared the same possessive forms. During the Early Modern English period, a need arose for a distinct neuter possessive. The form it was established, and its possessive was initially spelled 'it’s'. In the 17th century, the apostrophe was dropped to avoid confusion with the contraction for "it is," resulting in the modern spelling 'its'.

The Second Person: From 'Thou' to 'You'

The second-person pronouns thou (subject) and thee (object) were the standard singular forms. The plural forms were ye (subject) and you (object). However, these began to change in the Middle English period.

Influence and Social Distinction

Starting in the 13th century, English speakers adopted the French custom of using the plural form as a polite or formal singular address. Ye/you began to be used to show respect, while thou/thee was reserved for informal, intimate, or subordinate address. For instance, equals might use thou in private but switch to ye in public.

The Decline of 'Thou' and 'Ye'

The distinction between ye (subject) and you (object) was maintained in texts like the King James Bible (1611), but it became confusing for everyday speakers. By the 18th century, the -th forms (thou, thee) had largely disappeared from Standard English, as had ye. The form 'you' became a multi-purpose pronoun, covering singular, plural, subject, and object cases.

Modern Variants of 'You'

To compensate for the lack of a distinct plural 'you' in Standard English, several non-standard forms have emerged in different dialects:

• Youse: A plural form primarily associated with Irish English.
• You uns (you ones): A non-standard form originating in Scotland.
• Y’all (you all): A common form in the Southern states of the United States.

The Special Case of 'We'

The Regal 'We'

The regal 'we' (or royal 'we') was historically used by a monarch when speaking about themselves. This usage signified that the monarch was speaking on behalf of the entire monarchy or the nation.

The Editorial 'We'

Common in Present-Day English, the editorial 'we' is used by an individual, such as a writer or speaker, who is speaking on behalf of a group they represent (e.g., a publication, a company, or a research team).