How to use and make pronouns!

Disclaimer: I’m not a linguist

Hey guys! This is a more real life list, but it also serves as a technical writing function. Maybe you have a nb character. Maybe you have a race of nonhumans who use different pronouns. Maybe your fantasy language system involves non-standard english pronouns.

Pronouns are tricky to make and use! So here’s a quick little list!

He/ Him/ His and She/ Her/ Hers and They/ Their/ Theirs are more common pronouns you might see in every day life. They pronouns can be a little tricky because they use a different set of tense words. Here’s some sample sentences to show you the difference.

Is he coming to dance? would be Are they coming to the dance?

Oh, she is a great girl! would be Oh, they are a great person!

This only applies when using the first pronoun in the set!

That is his backpack would still be That is their backpack

Oh, that is hers is still Oh, that is theirs.

So, how about non-pluralized gender neutral pronouns? Let me give you some real life examples- i personally use Xe/ Xir/ Xirs for myself, but there are also Na/ Nir/ Nirs and Ey/ Eir/ Eirs pronouns that I believe make up the most common three singular pronouns. Some people also use It/ Its pronouns, but I would recommend you only use these for real life people if they explicitly tell you to. Here are some example sentences!

Xe once called me pretty! That’s xir bag! Oh, that’s xirs?

Na once called me pretty!

That’s nir bag!

Oh, that’s nirs?

Ey once called me pretty! That’s eir bag!

Oh, that’s eirs?

It once called me pretty!

That’s its bag!

Oh, that’s its?

Cool! Real life pronoun examples! So, how about a fantasy language system?

Well, the first part would be to pick a root of two-five letters. Let’s go with Ou, Rai, Yot and Ketz. These are random sounds I picked, not anything special.

Then, you keep the whole root, or just the first letter or two, and add one sound at the end. The sound added should be consistent! Only pick maybe one or two sound types to be added on (he/ they becoming him/ them, and she/ na becoming her/ nir)

English Pronouns vs. Fantasy pronouns

Ou/ Oim                   Ou/ Outz

Rai/ Rir                     Rai/ Resk

Yot/ Yir                      Yot/ Yesk

Ketz/ Ketzim            Ketz/ Ketztz

And then! add whatever letter makes words plural (in english, that’s ‘s’!)

English Pronouns vs.           Fantasy pronouns

Ou/ Oim/ Oims                    Ou/ Outz/ Outzr

Rai/ Rir/ Rirs                        Rai/ Resk/ Reskr

Yot/ Yir/ Yirs                         Yot/ Yesk/ Yeskr

Ketz/ Ketzim/ Ketzims         Ketz/ Ketztz/ Ketztzr

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