CHAPTER VIII.
ON THE POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS.
[§ 520]. The possessive pronouns fall into two classes. The first class contains the forms connected, partially in their etymology and wholly in their syntax, with my and thy, &c. The second class contains the forms connected, partially in their etymology and wholly in their syntax, with mine and thine, &c.
The first class is the class of what may be called the oblique possessives; the name being founded upon the etymological fact of their being connected with the oblique cases of the pronominal inflection.—My, thy, his (as in his book), her, its (as in its book), our, your, their. These are conveniently considered as the equivalents to the Latin forms mei, tui, ejus, nostrum, vestrum, eorum.
The second class is the class of what may be called the absolute possessives; the name being founded upon the syntactic fact of their being able to form the term of a proposition by themselves; as whose is this? Mine (not my).—Mine, thine, his (as in the book is his), hers, ours, yours, theirs are conveniently considered as the equivalents to the Latin forms meus, mea, meum; tuus, tua, tuum; suus, sua, suum; noster, nostra, nostrum; vester, vestra, vestrum. How far either or both of these two classes of pronouns are cases, or adjectives, is a point of etymology that has already been noticed (Part IV., chap. 37).
How far either or both are cases or adjectives is, in syntax, a matter of indifference.
[§ 521]. There is, however, a palpable difference between the construction of my and mine. We cannot say this is mine hat, and we cannot say this hat is my. Nevertheless, this
difference is not explained by any change of construction from that of adjectives to that of cases. As far as the syntax is concerned the construction of my and mine is equally that of an adjective agreeing with a substantive, and of a genitive (or possessive) case governed by a substantive.
Now a common genitive case can be used in two ways; either as part of a term, or as a whole term (i. e., absolutely).—1. As part of a term—this is John's hat. 2. As a whole term—this hat is John's.
And a common adjective can be used in two ways; either as part of a term, or as a whole term (i. e., absolutely).—1. As part of a term—these are good hats. 2. As a whole term—these hats are good.
Now whether we consider my, and the words like it, as adjectives or cases, they possess only one of the properties just illustrated, i. e., they can only be used as part of a term—this is my hat; not this hat is my.
And whether we consider mine, and the words like it, as adjectives or cases, they possess only one of the properties just illustrated, i. e., they can only be used as whole terms, or absolutely—this hat is mine; not this is mine hat.
For a full and perfect construction whether of an adjective or a genitive case, the possessive pronouns present the phenomenon of being, singly, incomplete, but, nevertheless, complimentary to each other when taken in their two forms.
In the absolute construction of a genitive case, the term is formed by the single word only so far as the expression is concerned. A substantive is always understood from what has preceded.—This discovery is Newton's=this discovery is Newton's discovery.
The same with adjectives.—This weather is fine=this weather is fine weather.
And the same with absolute pronouns.—This hat is mine=this hat is my hat; and this is a hat of mine=this is a hat of my hats.
In respect to all matters of syntax considered exclusively, it is so thoroughly a matter of indifference whether a word be an adjective or a genitive case that Wallis considers the
forms in -'s like father's, not as genitive cases but as adjectives. Looking to the logic of the question alone he is right, and looking to the practical syntax of the question he is right, also. He is only wrong on the etymological side of the question.
"Nomina substantiva apud nos nullum vel generum vel casuum discrimen sortiuntur."—p. 76.
"Duo sunt adjectivorum genera, a substantivis immediate descendentia, quæ semper substantivis suis præponuntur. Primum quidem adjectivum possessivum libet appellare. Fit autem a quovis substantivo, sive singulari sive plurali, addito -s.—Ut man's nature, the nature of man, natura humana vel hominis; men's nature, natura humana vel hominum; Virgil's poems, the poems of Virgil, poemata Virgilii vel Virgiliana."—p. 89.