our’n

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "our’n" means "ours" - a folksy possessive form built the same way as "his’n," "her’n," and "your’n."

#SouthernWords #Appalachia #BlendedWords #Southern

Hillbilly Dude Says...

I'm not sure I've ever heard 'our'n' before, but I've heard tell.

Pronunciation

[ARR-uhn] or [OWR-uhn]

Meaning & Usage

- Ours / Belonging to Us (pronoun)

Earl:

Is that garden spot their’n?

Mae:

No, that’s our’n, right past the fence.

Ruby:

It was their’n yesterday, but today it’s our’n.

other spellings: our’n, ourn, and our one

★ Though less common than "his’n" or "your’n," "our’n" follows the same homespun grammar pattern. Knowing it rounds out the whole set of Appalachian possessives. ★

Origin

Built from "our" plus "one" - as in "that one is ours." Like the other -n forms, it reflects Scots-Irish influence and older English speech patterns in the Appalachians and South. It’s documented in dialect writing from the 1800s onward.

Notes

"Our’n" isn’t heard as often as "his’n" or "your’n," but it appears in older Appalachian stories, oral histories, and dialect-rich novels. Even if rare, it makes sense in the same family of words.

Say It Like a Southerner

Say "our" (either "are" or "ow-er" depending on your drawl), then tack on a quick "’n" like in "one." Together it sounds like "arr’n" or "owrn." It’s less common, but follows the same pattern as the others.

Kin Topics

Kin Words, Stories and More

Common Questions

Is "our’n" the same as "ours"?

Yes - it’s just the dialect form.

Do people really say it?

Less often today, but it shows up in older speech and literature, especially in mountain regions.

Why add the -n?

It comes from blending "our" with "one," the same way "his’n" = "his one" and "your’n" = "your one."

Are there more words like it?

Yes - "his’n," "her’n," and "your’n" are all part of the same pattern.