< Niw Englisc < Grammar

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

First Person Pronoun
IWe twoWe
Nominativeicwitwiȝ
Genitivemeinunkeruser
Dativemiȝunkus
Accusativemicunkitusic

Ȝȝ


Second Person Pronoun
ThouYe twoYe
Nominativeþuȝitȝiȝ
Genitiveþeininkerȝuer
Dativeþiȝinkȝu
Accusativeþicinkitȝuic

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

Third Person Pronoun
HeSheItThey
Nominativehescieithje
Genitivehisherhishjer
Dativehimherhimhjem
Accusativehinscie/scaithje

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?
Nominativeƕaƕat
Genitiveƕasƕas
Dativeƕamƕam
Accusativeƕanƕat

Examples:

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

Demonstrative Pronouns

Þe, Þat

þe
MasculineNeuterFemininePlural
Nominativeþeþatþieþie
Genitiveþesþesþerþer
Dativeþemþemþerþen
Accusativeþenþatþieþie

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

Þis

þis
MasculineNeuterFemininePlural
Nominativeþisþisþisseþisse
Genitiveþissesþissesþisserþisser
Dativeþissemþissemþisserþissen
Accusativeþissenþisþisseþisse

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

Ȝon

ȝon
MasculineNeuterFemininePlural
Nominativeȝonȝonȝoneȝone
Genitiveȝonesȝonesȝonerȝoner
Dativeȝonemȝonemȝonerȝonen
Accusativeȝonenȝonȝoneȝone

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
MasculineNeuterFemininePlural
Nominativeælcælcælceælce
Genitiveælcesælcesælcerælcer
Dativeælcemælcemælcerælcen
Accusativeælcenælcælceælce

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
MasculineNeuterFeminine
NominativeÆȝƕaÆȝƕatÆȝƕa
GenitiveÆȝƕasÆȝƕasÆȝƕas
DativeÆȝƕamÆȝƕamÆȝƕam
AccusativeÆȝƕanÆȝƕatÆȝƕan

Every (adj)

ælc
MasculineNeuterFemininePlural
NominativeÆȝƕilcÆȝƕilcÆȝƕilceÆȝƕilce
GenitiveÆȝƕilcesÆȝƕilcesÆȝƕilcerÆȝƕilcer
DativeÆȝƕilcemÆȝƕilcemÆȝƕilcerÆȝƕilcen
AccusativeÆȝƕilcenÆȝƕilcÆȝƕilceÆȝƕilce

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

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