poss. pron. 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 sb. 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. 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. Shaks., 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. Maria 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 werid be yurs tua.
1671. H. M., trans. 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 ȝors 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. Lett., in Hickes, Sp. Popery (1680), 75. Yours in the Lord, Subscribed, J. B.
1682. J. W., Lett. 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.
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 “yours faithfully”,’ banged out Ernest.
d. = Your business or affair.
1841. Miall, in Nonconf., I. 409. Be it your’s to help him.
2. Standing (esp. in collocation with another possessive) for your + a sb. to be supplied from the context.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5061. Knauing of yours haue i nan.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2793. Leuedi, kristes ore, And youres!
c. 1450. Merlin, iv. 68. The kynge that is my lorde and yowres.
1596. Shaks., 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, Lett. 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. Ibid. (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. Shaks., 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, Lett. to Nephew, 15 April. 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, Lett. to Moore, 3 May. Though I wrote to you on the 28th ultimo, I must acknowledge yours of this day.
3. Used instead of your before another possessive, etc. qualifying the same sb. Now rare or Obs.
1534. Cranmer, Lett. 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. Shaks., 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, Lett. to Swift, 11 April. I suppose you know, that I obeyed your’s, and the Bishop of Clogher’s commands.
1791. Burke, Lett. 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. Golagros & 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. Shaks., 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.
