Possessive constructions in Norwegian
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Possessive construction here subsumes constructions with possessive pronouns and with NPs with an -s attached at the end (without apostrophe).
Forms of Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns come in three patterns:
Pattern 1:
hans ('his'),
hennes ('her'),
dens ('its'), when the noun for the possessor is masculine or feminine gender,
dets ('its'), when the noun for the possessor is neuter gender,
dennes ('this one's'), when the noun for the possessor is masculine or feminine gender,
dettes ('that one's'), when the noun for the possessor is neuter gender,
deres (your', plural), when the possessor is second person (the one talked to),
OR
('their', plural), when the possessor is third person (what is talked about).
Pattern 2: min ('my'), din ('your'), sin (reflexive 'his', 'her') Pattern 3: vår ('our').
Pattern 1 uses essentially a personal pronoun plus -s; see Personal pronouns in Norwegian.
Pattern 2 inflects as follows':
with a masculine singular noun: min, din, sin with a feminine singular noun: mi, di, si with a neuter singular noun: mitt, ditt, sitt with a plural noun, any gender: mine, dine, sine
Pattern 3, i.e., vår, has the pattern:
with a masculine singular noun: vår with a feminine singular noun: vår with a neuter singular noun: vårt with a plural noun, any gender: våre
Constructions using possessive pronouns
BEING WRITTEN
1. 'Possessive pronouns occurring before the noun
Possessive pronouns occupy the position otherwise held by the definite article, and they may be said to induce a definiteness effect in that they require the weak form of the adjective. Contrary to the definite article, however, the ensuing noun has to be in indefinite form:
| mine | |
| min | e |
| 1sg | PL |
| PNposs | |
| griser | |
| gris | er |
| pig | PLMASCINDEF |
| N | |
| mine | |
| min | e |
| 1sg | PL |
| PNposs | |
| tre |
| tre |
| three |
| NUM |
| små |
| små |
| smallPL |
| ADJ |
| griser | |
| gris | er |
| pig | PLMASCINDEF |
| N | |
| min |
| min |
| 1sgSG |
| PNposs |
| glade | |
| glad | e |
| glad | DEF |
| ADJ | |
| gris |
| gris |
| pig |
| N |
2. 'Possessive pronouns occurring after the noun
For possessive pronouns, another position of occurrence is immediately after the noun, which then has to be in definite form:
| grisen | |
| gris | en |
| pig | DEFMASCSG |
| N | |
| min |
| min |
| 1sgSG |
| PNposs |
| den |
| den |
| DEFMASCSG |
| DET |
| glade | |
| glad | e |
| glad | DEF |
| ADJ | |
| grisen | |
| gris | en |
| pig | DEFMASCSG |
| N | |
| min |
| min |
| 1sgSG |
| PNposs |
3. Possessive pronoun occurring before the noun, together with a possessor NP
Possessive NPs with -s
TO BE WRITTEN
den rike bondens (tre) (små) griser
den rike bondens (lille) gris
- den rike bondens (tre) (små) grisene