Middle English Dictionary Entry
yǒures pron.
Entry Info
| Forms | yǒures pron. Also yourez, your(i)s, ȝour(e)s, ȝouris, ȝowers, ȝores, (N) yurs, ȝures, ȝuris, ȝhurs & (early) eowræs. |
| Etymology | From yǒur pron. and -es suf.(2) 1. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. heres pron., oures pron., & theires pron.
1a.
Used absolutely;—with plural referent: (a) with ref. to things (with noun supplied from the context): yours;
(b) with ref. to persons: you (ye) and ~, you and those people belonging, related, or attached to you, you and yours;
(c) of ~, belonging, related, or attached to you; also, in partitive constructions: (anything, nothing) of yours, (anything, nothing) belonging to you;
(d) as pred. adj.: belonging to you; ~ two, in the possession of the two of you.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.785 : Myghte this gold be caried fro this place Hoom to myn hous or ellis vn to youres.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)4/26 : For to leve oure lawe and to take youres—we wolle not.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)284/4 : Goode men and woyme[n]…ȝe schewen þat ȝe be boxom to Godys wyll, desyryng þat his wyll be done algatys befor youres.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17340 : Als yee said, it sal…On yow and yours [Göt: ȝuris] bath be sene.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)17296 : Sers…ȝe and yours sone sall yt wyn.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1722 : The Grekes…broght…to yow & also yours ȝomeryng for euer.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.672 : He was…an old felawe of youres.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)15409 : Quar his innes ar tonight wel i can yow bring, If yee me oght of yurs giue.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)260 : Loke that thise…saisnes…ne bere nought a-wey of youres be force but it be dere solde.
d
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2068 : Drightin graunt…þat al þis werld be yurs [Göt: ȝures; Trin-C: ȝoures] tua.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)17/9 : Blissed be ȝe pore, for ȝours is þe kyngdome of god!
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)2869 : Lo serys…The felissheppe is yourez that yender ye see.
1b.
Used absolutely;—with singular referent: (a) with ref. to persons or things (with noun supplied from the context): thine, yours;
(b) with ref. to persons: you and ~, you (ye) and alle ~, you and (all) those people belonging, related, or attached to you, you and yours; also, as possessive: alle ~, of or belonging to all those people who are related or attached to you, yours [quot. c1461];
(c) of ~, belonging or attached to you, of you, of yours; also, in partitive constructions: (one, none, some) among those persons or things that belong to you, are in your charge, etc.;
(d) as pred. adj.: belonging to you; also, attached to you; worthen to ~, to become yours;
(e) in epistolary formula;
(f) translating OF vostre.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2798 : Leuedi, k[r]istes ore And youres, we hauen misdo mikel.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2566 : Hir condicioun is bet than youres.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5061 : Mi fader…fars well…Knauing of yours haue i nan.
- a1425 Ordin.Nuns(1) (Lnsd 378)141/20 : Sho sall say: ‘þe mercy of god and ȝoures.’
- ?c1450 in Aungier Syon Mon.267 : I aske the mercy of god and ȝowres that I may be delyueryd fro my bondes.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)414/17 : My lady is fayrer than youres.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)442/9 : Be my frende and I woll be yourys.
- (?1470) Stonor1.114 : My wyfe send ȝow a ryng…for my dowter and ȝowrs to be weddyd þer with.
- (1472) Paston (EETS)1.448 : My ladye and yowrys, Dame Ely[sa]betȝ Bowghcher, is weddyd to þe Lorde Howardys soone.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)248/5 : As ȝe wyll not helpe me to haue my son, I wyll take youris ynstyd of myn.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)68 : The kynge…is my lorde and yowres.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.992 : Ȝow and ȝoures he casteth for to greve.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3948 : Ȝe and alle ȝoures Of what ȝou list schal haue suffisaunce.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3331 : Cosyn…Ȝoure officers, lat hym-silf devise, Ȝif the howsyng may…suffise To ȝow and ȝoures strecchen and atteyn, That non estaat ha cause to compleyn.
- (c1461) Let.Oxf.in OHS 36370 : She [University]…shalle nevyr cese cryyng…un to Christe for your good estate and prosperite, and alle youres.
- (?1470) Stonor1.114 : My wyfe…preyth God to…have ȝow and al ȝowris ever in hys most mercyful kepyng.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)prol.65 : My will is þat it well liked ȝou and all ȝouris, and yonge men leueste, To be-nyme hem her noyes þat neweth hem ofte.
c
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1964 : I ȝef yow me for on of yourez.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)1635 : Ȝe wote noȝt of þis dede Ne none of ȝhurs thoghght.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.3193 : Grekis wil…make her malis byte On some of ȝouris.
- (1440) Visit.Alnwick350a : We enioyne yow, prioresse…that ye gyfe no sustere of yours lefe to byde wythe thaire frendes.
- (1455-9) Paston2.191 : Cosyn…certeyn frendys of youres and myne hafe late be here.
- (c1465) Stonor1.70 : Cossyn…grant me the nexte avoydanys that ffallethe yow of any benyffys off yowrys that ys off valew off xx li.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1068/15 : Fayre maydyn, I woll graunte you to were a tokyn of youres uppon myne helmet.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1175/32 : He slew two sunnes of youres.
- (1471) Paston (EETS)1.634 : Ȝe schuld borow of my brothere…ore of sum othere frend of ȝowers.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)2130 : Syr…I wille werke after þe wille of yours.
- a1500(1465) Leversedge Vision (Add 34193)123/455 : Þorowgh þe grace of God and of ȝores he may have þat lyberte.
d
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2800 : Englond auhte forto ben youres.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1474 : My gold is youres whan that it yow leste.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1852 : Thus am I youres evermo.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1106 : Quat-so-euer I wynne in þe wod, hit worþez to yourez.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.422-3 : O lord, now youres is My spirit, which that oughte youres be.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)62/6 : Worldly rychessez…be not trewe neithir youris.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)115 : Hooly youres become I shal With good wille, body, herte, and al.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1171/33 : And she so dye, the shame shall be evermore youres.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)188/28 : Lord, sqwyche as I haue, it is yowris.
e
- (c1430) Paston (EETS)1.14 : Writen at Norwich…Yowres, William Paston.
f
- a1500 Prayer in Laudate (1935) (Tit C.19)38 : I haue writen in the spekyng to God for reuerence ‘ȝe’ and ‘youres’, And so I fynde in the frenche booke þat I wrote after: ‘vous’ and ‘votre’, þat is to sey, ‘ȝe’ and ‘yours’.
2.
As attrib. adj.;—with plural referent: your; ~ botheres, belonging to both of you.
Associated quotations
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)22/29 : We wullæð eow sæcgæn sum andȝit þerto…bi eowræs andȝites mæðe.
- c1475 Brm.Abraham (Brm)392 : I schall mvltyplye ȝowrys botherys sede As thyke as sterrys be in the skye.