Possessives in Penang Hokkien

Types of Possessives

Possessives in Penang Hokkien are usually formed by the use of the particle eh2 and its sandhied form eh3. The following are the three main forms of possessives:

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive Determiners of Nouns (possessive particle & relative particle)

Possessive Adjectives & Possessive Pronouns
Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns are formed by adding the grammatical particle -eh2 (or in its modified form, -eh3) to the personal pronoun. The difference between the Possessive Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives is in the tone of the -eh particle.

Personal Pronoun / Possessive Adjective / Possessive Pronoun
Singular
wah4 [wa] : I / wah1-eh3 [wa-e] : my / wah1-eh2 [wa-e] : mine

lu4 [lu] : You / lu1-eh3 [lu-e] : your / lu1-eh2 [lu-e] : yours

ie1 [i] : he/it / ie1-eh3 [i-e] : his/its / ie1-eh2 [i-e] : his/its

ee1 [i] : she/it / ee1-eh3 [i-e] : her/its / ee1-eh2 [i-e] : hers/its

i1 [i] : it / i1-eh3 [i-e] : its / i1-eh2 [i-e] : its
Plural
wah1lang2 [wa-laŋ] : we / wah1lang2-eh3 [wa-laŋ-e] : our / wah1lang2-eh2 [wa-laŋ-e] : ours

lan4 [lan] : we / lan1-eh3 [lan-e / laŋ-e] : our / lan1-eh2 [lan-e / laŋ-e] : ours

lan1lang2 [lan-laŋ / laŋ-laŋ] : we / lan1lang2-eh3 [lan-laŋ-e / laŋ-laŋ-e] : our / lan1lang2-eh2 [lan-laŋ-e / laŋ-laŋ-e] : ours

lu1lang2 [lu-laŋ] : You / lu1lang2-eh3 [lu--laŋe] : your / lu1lang2-eh2 [lu--laŋe] : yours

ie1lang2 [i-laŋ] : they (m) / ie1lang2-eh3 [i-laŋ-e] : their (m) / ie1lang2-eh2 [i-laŋ-e] : their (m)

ee1lang2 [i-laŋ] : they (f) / ee1lang2-eh3 [i-laŋ-e] : their (f) / ee1lang2-eh2 [i-laŋ-e] : their (f)

i1lang2 [i-laŋ] : they (n) / i1lang2-eh3 [i-laŋ-e] : their (n) / i1lang2-eh2 [i-laŋ-e] : their (n)
Plural, slurred form
wang1 [waŋ] : we all / wang1-eh3 [waŋ-e] : all our / wang1-eh2 [waŋ-e] : all ours

luang1 [luaŋ] : you all / luang1-eh3 [luaŋ-e] : all your / luang1-eh2 [luaŋ-e] : all yours

iyang1 [ijaŋ] : they all / iyang1-eh3 [ijaŋ-e] : all their / iyang1-eh2 [ijaŋ-e] : all theirs
1.0 Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives always have to be followed by a noun. As their name suggests, possessive adjectives show ownership of the noun they precede. Ie1-eh3 pa1 cin3 ho1giak1.
His father is very rich.

Wah1 pni1sai3 wah1-eh3 kao4.
I entered my dog in a competition.
2.0 Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns can act as subject or object. Use them only when the antecedent (the thing or person they refer) is clear within the context, as otherwise your reader will not understand you. Wah1-eh2 khah1 sin1 goay3 lu1-eh2.
Mine is newer than yours.

Te3-it1 ho4 tok3si3 ie1lang2-eh2.
The best is theirs.
3.0 Possessive Determiners of Nouns in Penang Hokkien
3.1 Possessive determiners are words that modify nouns by attributing possession. The particle eh2 is a possessive determiner. It may serve as a possessive particle or relative particle, and is usually in its sandhied form eh3.

As possessive particle, eh3 is suffixed with hyphen to the noun it attributes possession.
As relative particle, eh3 is placed without hyphen behind phrases. Ah3 Huat3-eh3 chaek3
Ah Huat's book.

Heh1-leh1 lang2-eh3 snaeh1mia3
The man's life

Heh1-leh beh3 bak1chang3 eh3 lau3lang2 lai2 liau4.
The old man who sells bakchang has come.

Ie1 beh3 eh3 bak1chang3 ho1ciak1.
The bakchang that he sells is tasty.

3.2 In the first and second sentences above, eh2 serves as a possessive particle. In the third and fourth sentences above, it serves as a relative particle.

Eh3 is often employed in the similar sense as "of the" in English, except that the phrase in Penang Hokkien is constructed in a reverse way from that of English. Unlike in English, the possessive determiner continues to precede the noun, with the possessive particle eh3 suffixed with a hyphen to it. The tones of the possessive determiner and the noun it modifies are both in the citation form.

bas1-eh3 lien4
wheel of the bus

hor4-eh3 boey4
tail of the tiger

3.3 In compound nouns and adjectival nouns, eh3 is not used. Instead, the tone of the final syllable of the compound/adjectival noun is in the modified form. Compound nouns usually take on a different meaning from that of nouns with possessive determiner. Use the possessive determiner to show ownership or belonging whereas compound nouns are generally accepted as words in their own right. See the difference in the examples below.

kay3kha1
chicken feet

kay1-eh3 kha1
feet of the chicken

ang3mor3 often elided to
European/Westerner

ang3 mor3
red hair

ang2-eh3 mor2
hair that is red in colour, red-coloured hair

ang3mor3 tau3iu2
Worcestershire sauce

ang3mor2-eh3 tau3iu2
the European's soysauce
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