Your One
A way of referring to a specific female person without naming her, usually previously identified or visible to both speakers. The female counterpart of 'your man'. Often shortened to 'yer wan' in casual speech.
Etymology
A Hiberno-English possessive construction that does the job of 'that woman' or 'she' in standard English. The 'your' carries no genuine possession; the structure mirrors Irish-language conventions where definite reference can be made through possessive forms. The parallel 'your man' (= that man, the bloke in question) and 'your woman' / 'your wan' developed together and are interchangeable in form, distinct only by gender of referent.
In a sentence
No, your man there with the kind of hooded eyes, talking to Tom O'Reilly. - May O'Brien, 2004 (parallel construction; Wiktionary)
Historical notes
Your one (and yer wan) sits at the heart of Hiberno-English discourse. The construction is portable: it can be used affectionately, neutrally, or disparagingly, with the tone carrying the whole message. 'Your one over there, with the hat' is neutral; 'your one was at it again' is gently disparaging; 'oh, your one' said with weight is a small social judgement. Trying to translate the construction into standard English usually flattens it; standard 'she' is more neutral than 'your one' ever is.
Alternate spellings
yer wan · your wan · yer one
Sources
- Wiktionary, entry 'your man' (carrying the parallel pronoun construction with dated literary attestations). · other
- Wikipedia, 'Hiberno-English' (vocabulary and discourse section). · other