4.2.1.1. Attributive possessive pronouns
LSC has two possessive pronouns. The first one, glossed as poss, is mostly used with second and third person. The second one, glossed as own, in neutral contexts is used for first person and expresses emphatic possession [LEXICON 3.7.3].
Within the noun phrase, a possessive pronoun can be used to refer to the possessor. If poss is used, the pronoun is oriented towards the location attributed to the possessor within the signing space.
top y/n
a) book poss2 borrow.
‘Will you lend me your book?’
(based on Quer & GRIN, 2008: 40)
wh hn
b) language own lsc.
‘My own language is LSC.’
(based on Quer & GRIN, 2008: 41)
In some cases it is also possible to use a personal pronoun instead of a possessive, namely when referring to possession of body parts or when the possessor belongs to the group of discourse participants.
top
a) ix3 face scratch1.
‘They scratched his face.’
(based on Quer & GRIN, 2008: 41)
top y/n
b) ix2 computer ix2 ix3 type can.
‘Can s/he use your computer?’
(based on Quer & GRIN, 2008: 37)
In some contrastive contexts, poss can co-appear with personal pronouns, as in the example below.
top top top top
cell phone poss3aix3aposs3bix3bposs1 ix1 all broken.
‘His cellphone, her cellphone and mine are all out of work.’
(based on Quer & GRIN, 2008: 40)
As explained in the following subsection, both personal and possessive pronouns can also co-occur with the possessive marker of.