there is neither apposition nor government; _him_ and _them_, being neither related to _my_ and _thy_, so as to be governed, nor yet to _he_ and _they_, so as to form an apposition. In order to come under one of these conditions, the phrases should be either _he his self_ (_they their selves_), or else _he he self_ (_they they selves_). In this difficulty, the only logical view that can be taken of the matter, is to consider the words _himself_ and _themselves_, not as two words, but as a single word compounded; and even then, the compound will be of an irregular kind; inasmuch as the inflectional element -m is dealt with as part and parcel of the root. § 447. _Her-self_.--The construction here is ambiguous. It is one of the preceding constructions. Which, however it is, is uncertain; since _her_ may be either a so-called genitive, like _my_, or an accusative like _him_. _Itself_--is also ambiguous. The s may represent the -s in _its_, as well as the s- in _self_. This inconsistency is as old as the Anglo-Saxon stage of the English language. * * * * * CHAPTER VIII. ON THE POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS. § 448. The possessive pronouns fall into two classes. The first contains the forms like _my_ and _thy_, &c.; the second, those like _mine_ and _thine_, &c. _My_, _thy_, _his_ (as in _his book_), _her_, _its_ (as in _its book_), _our_, _your_, _their_, are conveniently considered as the equivalents to the Latin forms _mei_, _tui_, _ejus_, _nostrum_, _vestrum_, _eorum_. _Mine_, _thine_, _his_ (as in _the book is his_), _hers_, _ours_, _yours_, _theirs_ are conveniently considered as the equivalents to the Latin forms _meus_, _mea_, _meum_; _tuus_, _tua_, _tuum_; _suus_, _sua_, _suum_; _noster_, _nostra_, _nostrum_; _vester_, _vestra_, _vestrum_. § 449. There is a difference between the construction of _my_ and _mine_. We cannot say _this is mine hat_, and we cannot say _this hat is my_. Nevertheless, this difference is not explained by any change of construction from that of adjectives to that of cases. As far as the syntax is concerned the construction of _my_ and _mine_ is equally that of an adjective _agreeing_ with a substantive, and of a genitive (or possessive) case _governed_ by a substantive. Now a common genitive case can be used in two ways; either as part of a term, or as a whole term (i.e., absolutely).--1. As part of a term--_this is John's hat_. 2. As a whole term--_this hat is John's_. And a common adjective can be used in two ways; either as part of a term, or as a whole term (i.e. absolutely).--1. As part of a term--_these are good hats_. 2. As a whole term--_these hats are good_. Now whether we consider _my_, and the words like it, as adjectives or cases, they possess only _one_ of the properties just illustrated, i.e., they can only be used as part of a term--_this is my hat_; not _this hat is my_.