their and them

[Caroline_3]

I was wondering if them could be used in the meaning of their? I mean can you say for example them shoes instead of their shoes? I have found recently such variant in some dictionary, but I can't confirm that, because nowhere else I can find that and I'm not sure whether this dictionary is reliable.

I'd appreciate help

 

[bhaisahab]

I was wondering if them could be used in the meaning of their? I mean can you say for example them shoes instead of their shoes? I have found recently such variant in some dictionary, but I can't confirm that, because nowhere else I can find that and I'm not sure whether this dictionary is reliable.

I'd appreciate help

No, you can't use "them" in place of "their".

 

[Caroline_3]

Thank You

I have one more question. How should I understand these lyrics then: I believe them bones are me.. It appears to be part of some song by Alice in Chains that I found looking for the answer to my question.

 

[emsr2d2]

You will hear "them" used in non-standard English. There is a song with the lyrics "Them bones, them bones, them ..." but "them" is a replacement for "those", not for "their". Little children (and some adults) say "I want some of them sweets" or "I want them shoes!" Again, the word they need is "those". I believe it is used in the same way in some southern states of America and possibly in a race-specific variant but I will wait for an AmE speaker to confirm.

 

[Caroline_3]

Thank You very much for clearing this up for me

 

[Gillnetter]

You will hear "them" used in non-standard English. There is a song with the lyrics "Them bones, them bones, them ..." but "them" is a replacement for "those", not for "their". Little children (and some adults) say "I want some of them sweets" or "I want them shoes!" Again, the word they need is "those". I believe it is used in the same way in some southern states of America and possibly in a race-specific variant but I will wait for an AmE speaker to confirm.

Yes, it is was used mostly in the southern US by African-Americans, but it was pronounced "Dem". I still hear it occasionally in southern speech pronounced as "them" - "Git me some of them grits.".

 

[Odessa Dawn]

Thank You. [STRIKE] [/STRIKE]

***NOT A TEACHER***

'' is non-standard although it is widely used here in S. Arabia. We are looking forward to using/learning standard English. Thanks.

​

 

[emsr2d2]

***NOT A TEACHER***

'' is non-standard although it is widely used here in S. Arabia. We are looking forward to using/learning standard English. Thanks.

​

I'm not sure what your post meant. Are you saying that the emoticon '' is non-standard? If so, I should point out that all emoticons/smileys are "non-standard", especially given that they are not even words. They are only used on the net and in text messages, never in handwritten English and it would be impossible to use them in spoken English.

 

[MikeNewYork]

You will hear "them" used in non-standard English. There is a song with the lyrics "Them bones, them bones, them ..." but "them" is a replacement for "those", not for "their". Little children (and some adults) say "I want some of them sweets" or "I want them shoes!" Again, the word they need is "those". I believe it is used in the same way in some southern states of America and possibly in a race-specific variant but I will wait for an AmE speaker to confirm.

It is not only used in the South in the US, but it is considered nonstandard by careful English speakers everywhere in the US.

 

[Odessa Dawn]

Are you saying that the emoticon '' is non-standard?

Yes. Thank you, ems.

 

[Rover_KE]

... it is considered nonstandard by careful English speakers everywhere in the US.

...and everywhere in the UK.