Page:A Danish and Dano-Norwegian grammar.djvu/107

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192. The possessive pronouns are:

In stead of jer, jert, jere the gen. of the pers. pronoun eders is usually employed.

193. sin, sit, sine is only in Norway used referring to a subject of plur. In Denmark it is a rule to say: Herrerne tog(e) deres Hatte the gentlemen took their hats; in Norway they say: Herrerne tog sine Hatte.

Sin may refer to another word than the subject in such combinations as: Giv hver sit give each one his due.

When there besides the predicate verb is another verb (infinitive or participle) in the sentence sin may refer to the subject of either of these verbal forms, thus causing some ambiguity: Hr. Pedersen bad Pigen hente sin Hat: Mr. P. asked the servant girl to fetch his hat. But Hr. Pedersen bad sin Ven tænde sin Cigar Mr. P. asked his friend to light his (whose?) cigar. Han fandt ham liggende i sin Seng he found him lying in his bed (whose?). Sin may also refer to the logical subject of a noun indicating action: hendes Kamp for sin Kongemagt her fight for her royal power.

194. The possessive pronouns replace the missing genitive forms of the personal pronouns and are used in the same meanings and ways as the genitive of the nouns (see § 164). Observe