▪ I. hers, poss. pron.1
(hɜːz)
Forms: 3–5 hirs, hiris, 4–5 hires, 5 heres, -is, heerys, hyres, 5–6 hyrs, 5– hers.
[In form, a double possessive, f. poss. pron. hire, her, thus hires, her's, hers (cf. ours, yours, theirs), app. by association with the possessive case in such phrases as ‘a friend of John's’, whence ‘a friend of her's’, formerly ‘a friend of her (hire)’. Of northern origin; the midland and southern equivalent being hern1.]
a. The absolute form of the possessive pronoun her, used when no noun follows: = Her one, her ones; that or those pertaining to her. (= F. le sien, la sienne, les siens, Ger. der, die, das ihrige.) See also his absol. poss. pron. b.
| 13.. Cursor M. 8608 (Gött) Fra hir fere scho stal hir barn, And laid bi hir hirs [Trin. And leide hiren þere] so for-farn. Ibid. 20016 (Cott.) Hirs [v.rr. hiris, hiren] am i wit all þat i can. 1382 Wyclif Job xxxix. 16 She is maad hard to hir sones, as thoȝ thei be not hiris. c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 221 Ffor this was his desir and hire [Petw. MS. hers] also. ― Man of Law's T. 129, I moot been hires [v.rr. hers, hirs], I may noon oother chese. c 1430 Life St. Kath. (1884) 1 To oure lordys wurschip and his holy moders and hyres. 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 219 [She] registered her selfe and hers, as persones there privileged. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. ii. iii. 59 As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine. 1621 Lady M. Wroth Urania 464 Shee was forced to confesse her's was the fault. 1841 Miall in Nonconf. I. 257 They must be hers of her own right. |
b. of hers = belonging to her.
| 1478 J. Paston in Paston Lett. No. 812 III. 219 Aftyr the dyssease of a steppe modyr of hyrs. 1482 Monk of Evesham (Arb.) 70 A..neybur of herys [printed herns]. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 321 b/2 This lady..buryed them secretely in a felde of heerys. c 1630 Risdon Surv. Devon §293 (1810) 302 These her eleemosinary acts of hers are almost vanished. Mod. She mentioned the matter to a friend of hers. |
† c. Formerly used for the first of two possessives followed by a substantive, as hers and my father, now her father and mine.
| 1611 Shakes. Cymb. v. v. 186 Hers and mine Adultery. 1707 in Lond. Gaz. No. 4356/2 Her Majesty..is very sensible of their Zeal for Her's and the Publick Service. |
▪ II. † hers, poss. pron.2 Obs.
Also 4 heoris, 4–5 heres, heris.
[Formed in same way as prec. of her ‘their’; supplanted by theirs before 1500. A southern equivalent was hern2. The earlier form was here, hire, etc.]
= theirs.
| c 1340 Cursor M. 2507 (Trin.) Þei helde heres [v.rr. þairs, þaires] was þe lond, For þei hadde þe ouer hond. Ibid. 22578 And þo to hores [v.r. heris] vche a burne. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 300 Pore men..þat hauen greet neede for hem & heoris. c 1380 Antecrist in Todd Three Treat. Wyclif (1851) 133 Crist forsoke his wille; þei seken hers be it riȝt or wronge. c 1449 Pecock Repr. 397 If Y..consente not for me and my Successours in my name and heris for to fulfille [etc.]. |
▪ III. hers(e
Sc. forms of hoarse.