The spelling of the word "theirs" can be explained using IPA phonetic transcription. The word is pronounced /ðerz/, with the voiced dental fricative /ð/ followed by the schwa sound /ə/ and then the alveolar fricative /z/. The spelling of "theirs" is derived from the Old English genitive case ending "-es" combined with the pronoun "their." This results in the spelling "theirs" which signifies possession. It is important to note that this spelling has remained consistent throughout the evolution of the English language.
The word "theirs" is a possessive pronoun used to indicate ownership or possession. It is the third person plural form of the pronoun "they", and is used to refer to something that belongs to or is associated with a group of people, animals, or things that have already been mentioned or are known to the speaker and listener.
In terms of meaning, "theirs" denotes that the possession in question belongs to them, as opposed to belonging to the speaker or someone else. It implies that the item or concept being referred to has a strong association with the individuals or group mentioned.
"Theirs" is typically used when there is a clear reference or context, such as in sentences like "The books on the shelf are theirs" or "That house is theirs." In these examples, "theirs" specifies that the books and the house are owned by the people mentioned or known to both the speaker and listener.
This pronoun is extremely useful in avoiding repetition and providing conciseness when discussing ownership or possession. It serves as an inclusive pronoun to indicate the collective ownership or possession of a group, emphasizing unity among the individuals.
In summary, "theirs" is a pronoun used to indicate that something belongs to or is associated with a specific group previously mentioned or known to the speaker and listener. It signifies possession or ownership, emphasizing a collective sense of belonging and unity.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "theirs" is derived from the pronoun forms of "they" and "their" combined with the possessive suffix "-s".
The pronoun "they" comes from the Old Norse "þeir", which means "they" or "those". It has evolved throughout various Middle English and Old English forms like "thei", "they", and "thai" before settling into its current form.
The possessive form "their" can be traced back to the Old English "heora", which means "their", "theirs", or "them". This term has also undergone changes in spelling over the centuries, such as "heora", "heore", and "their", before adopting the current form.
When "they" or "their" is combined with the possessive suffix "-s", it creates the word "theirs".