English

Pronunciation

• , /maɪn/, /maIn/

• Rhymes with: -aɪn

Etymology 1

Pronoun

1. Non-premodifying possessive case of I. My; belonging to me; that which belongs to me. (See usage notes below.)

Usage notes

• My and mine are essentially two forms of the same word, with my being used attributively before the noun, and mine being used in all other cases; hence:

  No, that's not my car. (attributive use)

  That car next to it isn't mine, either. (predicative use)

  Mine is the one over there, on the far right. (substantive use)

  Mine for only a week so far, it already feels like an old friend. (absolute use)

• In archaic use, this word is occasionally used attributively after the noun, in which case mine is used:
  • a1611, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act V, Scene 1,

    […] Flesh and blood, / You, brother mine, that entertain'd ambition, / […]

• In the above respects, this word is analogous to most of the other possessive pronouns, as well as a number of other noun modifiers, such as lone/alone.
• Historically, my originally came to be used only before a consonant sound, and later came to be used regardless of the following sound. Nonetheless, mine still sees archaic pre-vocalic use:
  • 1862 February, Julia Ward Howe, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", in The Atlantic Monthly, Volume IX, Number LII, page 10,

    Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord: / […]

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

1. An excavation from which ore or solid minerals are taken.
2. A passage dug toward or underneath enemy lines, which is then packed with explosives.
3. A device intended to explode when stepped upon or touched, or when approached by a ship, vehicle, or person.
4. A type of firework that explodes on the ground, shooting sparks upward.
5. The cavity made by a caterpillar while feeding inside a leaf.

Derived terms

• coal mine
• mine of information
• mine shaft
• anti-personnel mine
• anti-tank mine
• land mine, landmine
• limpet mine
• minefield
• naval mine

Translations