meus

Meus is a Latin possessive adjective meaning "my." It is used to indicate ownership and accompanies a noun, agreeing with that noun in gender, number, and case. In Classical Latin, meus is declined like other adjectives of the second declension, with distinct masculine, feminine, and neuter forms across cases. The stem is me-, and the endings attach to reflect the noun they modify.

Usage and examples: Meus is placed before or after the noun it modifies. Common examples include Liber meus for "my book," Domina mea for "my mistress," and Opus meum for "my work" (neuter). The form changes to match the noun’s gender and case, and it follows standard Latin agreement rules for adjectives.

Declension and forms: As a possessive adjective, meus is declined to agree with its noun, in contrast to a bare pronoun. In masculine singular nominative it appears as meus; feminine singular nominative as mea; neuter singular nominative/accusative as meum. Plural forms follow the general patterns of the second declension adjectives, adjusting for gender and case as required by the noun.

Historical and linguistic notes: Meus is attested throughout Latin literature and inscriptions as a basic possessive construction. It remains part of Latin grammar in teaching contexts and in Neo-Latin texts, where it continues to function as the standard way to express “my” with a noun.

See also: Possessive adjective, Latin grammar, Latin pronouns.

Other languages: In Romance languages such as Portuguese, the form meus appears as a possessive determiner meaning "my" in masculine plural constructions (e.g., meus amigos), reflecting a shared Latin heritage but with independent grammar.