yours, poss. pron.
(jʊəz, jɔːz)
Forms: 4 ȝures, -is, ȝurs, yurs, 4–6 ȝouris, 4–7 youres, 5 ȝoures, -ys, ȝowres, ȝowers, yowres, yowers, yourez, -is, yor(e)s, -ys, yowrs, 6 Sc. yowris, 8–9 your's, 5– yours.
[f. your + -s as in hers, ours, q.v.]
The absolute form of your, used when no n. follows (originally, like you and your, referring to a number of persons, later also to a single person): That or those belonging to you.
1. a. Predicatively.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 497 All hale my land sall ȝouris be. c 1440 Generydes 2869 The felissheppe is yourez that yender ye see. 1535 Coverdale Gen. xlv. 20 The goodes of all the lande of Egipte shalbe yours. 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. v. i. 543 If you'll a willing eare incline; What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine. 1625 B. Jonson Staple of N. ii. i, All this Nether-world Is yours, you command it, and doe sway it. 1709 Mrs. Manley Secret Mem. 31 Take all that an over-indulgent Monarch has enrich'd me with! these Jewels! these Bills must be yours! 1825 M. Edgeworth Harry & Lucy (1858) 174 You should not meddle with them; they are not yours. 1845 Lady Dufferin Irish Emigrant 33 Yours was the good brave heart, Mary, That still kept hoping on. |
† b. With both, two, etc. following. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 2068 Drightin graunt þat it be sua, Þat al þis werld be yurs tua. 1671 H. M. tr. Erasm. Colloq. 162 Moreover remember that boy which is yours both. |
c. In the subscription of a letter (cf. your 2 d): often qualified by an advb. phr., or an adv., as faithfully, sincerely, truly (see also these words). Hence yours truly, etc. humorously for ‘I’ or ‘me’, ‘myself’.
| ? 1430 W. Paston in P. Lett. I. 30 Yowres, Will. Paston. 1438–9 Priory of Coldingham (Surtees) 109 Be ȝo{supr}s in all thyng, David Home of Wederburn. 1516 Ld. Dacre in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. I. 133 At Kirkoswald the xxiij. daye of Auguste Yowrs with hyes serves Thomas Dacre. 1582 in Allen Martyrdom Campion (1908) 77 Yours to death, and after death, Luke Kirbie. c 1680 Let. in Hickes Sp. Popery (1680) 75 Yours in the Lord, Subscribed, J. B. 1682 J. W. Let. fr. New-Eng. 9 end, Sir, I shall trouble you no more at present, onely that I am Yours, J. W. 1718 Illustr. Modern 19, I depend on your mighty Talent,..and on that Score, remain, Most Lovingly Yours. 1798 Ferriar Illustr. Sterne Ded., I am, most truly and faithfully your's, The Author. 1833 Dickens Let. Oct. (1965) I. 31 Pray give my love to Letitia; ‘accept the same from yours truly’ as school⁓boys say. 1860 Sala Baddington P. xxvii, The verdict will be ‘Guilty, my Lord,’ against yours truly. Ibid., It's ill..with yours obediently. 1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Col. Reformer xx, And they were his faithfully, etc. ‘Hang their {oqq}yours faithfully{cqq},’ banged out Ernest. |
d. = Your business or affair.
| 1841 Miall in Nonconf. I. 409 Be it your's to help him. |
2. a. Standing (esp. in collocation with another possessive) for your + a n. to be supplied from the context.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 5061 Knauing of yours haue i nan. c 1300 Havelok 2798 Leuedi, kristes ore, And youres! c 1450 Merlin iv. 68 The kynge that is my lorde and yowres. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iv. i. 96 Let their beds Be made as soft as yours. a 1707 Prior To the Lady Dursley 13 With Virtue strong as Your's had Eve been arm'd. 1777 Boswell Let. to Johnson 29 Nov., I was, indeed, doubly uneasy;—on my own account and yours. 1827 Disraeli Viv. Grey v. vii, Such a father as yours. 1837 Dickens Pickw. xliv, ‘Will you take a glass of wine?’ ‘You're wery good, sir,’ replied Mr. Roker, accepting the proffered glass. ‘Yours, sir.’ ‘Thank you,’ said Mr. Pickwick. 1840 ― Old C. Shop li, ‘It shall [be done], sir,’ said Sampson. ‘Then give me your hand,’ retorted Quilp. ‘Sally, girl, yours.’ |
b. Those who belong to you; your family, kindred, or friends: chiefly in phr. you and yours.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 17340 It sal i wene On yow and yours bath be sene. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1722 Bothe to me & to myne mykull vnright, And to yow & also yours ȝomeryng for euer. c 1465 Stonor Papers (Camden) I. 70 Allmyty God have you in ys kepyng, and all yowrys. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxi. 212 You & al yours shal be ryche for euer. 1605 Shakes. Macb. iii. i. 91 Whose heauie hand Hath bow'd you to the Graue, and begger'd Yours for euer. 1645 Chas. I in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. ix. 14 Some considerations hinder me from doing all I would towards you and yours. 1772 Mackenzie Man of World i. ii. (1773) 32, I had looked forward to some happy days, amidst a race of my Harriet's and yours. 1838 Hood in Mem. (1860) I. 313 And now, God bless you and yours. 1847 Tennyson Princess vi. 282 Yourself and yours shall have Free adit. |
c. That which belongs to you, your property.
| 1526 Tindale 2 Cor. xii. 14, I seke not youres but you. |
d. In epistolary (now chiefly commercial) correspondence: Your letter, the letter from you.
| 1536 in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. II. 77, I have yours of the last of April. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1892) 515, I had yours of the last week. 1755 Chatham Let. to Nephew 15 Apr., Pardon an observation on style: ‘I received yours’ is vulgar and mercantile; ‘your letter’ is the way of writing. 1775 Challoner in E. H. Burton Life (1909) II. xxviii. 116 Yours with the enclosed draught for 50-ll. came safe to hand. 1821 Byron Let. to Moore 3 May, Though I wrote to you on the 28th ultimo, I must acknowledge yours of this day. |
e. Phr. what's yours? (colloq.): what would you like to drink?
| 1930 Auden Poems 12 There's time for a quick one before changing. What's yours? 1982 P. Lovesey False Inspector Dead v. 177 What's yours, Inspector? |
3. Used instead of your before another possessive, etc. qualifying the same n. Now rare or Obs.
| 1534 Cranmer Let. to Warden of All Souls' Coll. Misc. Writ. (Parker Soc.) 279 So that by yours and their agreement I may obtain the next lease. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. i. 254 Yours and my discharge. a 1634 Chapman Rev. for Honour iii. i, Despight of yours and your Maids weak resistance. 1710 Addison Let. to Swift 11 Apr., I suppose you know, that I obeyed your's, and the Bishop of Clogher's commands. 1791 Burke Let. to Member of Nat. Ass. 66 This adaptation of contending parts, as it has not been in our's, so it can never be in your's, or in any country, the effect [etc.]. |
4. of yours: see of 44.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 15409 If yee me oght of yurs giue. c 1470 Gol. & Gaw. 164 Ane knyght of youris. 1471 Paston Lett. Suppl. (1901) 140 Ȝe schuld borow of my brother Sir John, or of sum other frend of ȝowers. 1539 Bible (Great) 1 Cor. viii. 9 Lest..thys libertye of yours be an occasyon of falling. 1601 Shakes. All's Well v. iii. 209 She hath that Ring of yours. 1709 Mrs. Manley Secret Mem. Ded. p. iv, So near a Resemblance of Yours to the Young Prince. 1851 Amer. Mag. Dec. 116/2 This charming new sister of your's. 1894 W. E. Norris St. Ann's xxiv, That dictatorial Colonel of yours. |