alytical practical grammar - Toronto Public Library

ETYMOLOGY-PRONOUNS. 47
for my, &c. Thus, we cannot say "ltfine book," but "llfy book ;" but
we can with equal propriety say, "Joh ,,'s book," or "The book is John'8."
See Appendix II., page 2!7.
242. Iu the same manner may be explaiued, the use of the possessive
after transitive verbs in the active voice, and after prepositions; thus,
"James lost his books, and I gave him mine," meaning my books.-" A
picturll of the king's." is a picture of (i. e. from) the king's pictures. So
.. A book of mine," is a book of (from) my books. "A friend of yours,"
is a friend of (from) your friends. It is worthy of notice, that though
this use c,f the possessi ve after of, originally and strictly implies selection,
or a part only, it has insensibly come to be used when no such selection
is, or ever can be, intended. Thus we may say, "That houge of yours,"
•. that farm of yours," without intending to imply that any other houses
01' farms belong to you; and when we say, "That head of yours" selection
is obviously excluded by the sense.
'
243. In royal proclamations, charters, editorial articles, and the like,
where there is no individuall'esponsibility, we is frequently applied to one
person.
244. Tholt is now used only in the solemn style-in addresses to the
Deity, or to some important object in nature,-or to mark special emphasis,-or
in tbe language of contempt. Ye, the plural (,f thou, is @eldolll
used (excep-t 8S the subject of the imperative), and only in the solemn styll'.
It is sometimes used as the objective for you; as, "Y ain pomp and glory
of this world, I hate ye I-Shah.
245. You, the common plural of thou, is now used 8lso to denote one
persoll, but, even when it does so, it always takes a plural verb. This
usage bas become so fixed and uniform, that some eminent grammarians
contend for its being regarded as singular. No a