A friend of mine asked me whether or not "each’s" is a word.  I had said no, but wasn’t quite sure of how to explain it.  What is the correct answer and explanation?

- Robby
(absent for a long time but now hopefully much more active)

It’s a word, in English.  Same as one’s. Any noun or pronoun can receive a contraction, if by ‘s you mean is. If you mean possessive case, each’s own, it’s dialect and doesn’t go over in most of the English speaking world. In America it sounds cockney to say the least.

Welcome back, Rob!  I agree with Melissa and don’t have anything else to say, just wanted to say welcome back!

-Tim

LOL… Thanks, Katy.  I’m on lunch break.

-Tim

To each’s own.

VB

but surely the expression is "to each HIS own", and therefore it’s not a contraction at all.

I can’t think of any way you could contract a word after "each" to make a genuine contraction, nor can I think of an instance of using "each" with a possessive ‘s.

You wouldn’t say, for example, "they each went back to each’s home", you’d say "they each went back to their own home"

"They took each other’s dogs to the beach.", and not "they took each’s dog to the beach.".

I admit I could simply be missing a case where it could be used properly, but I’d have to stand firmly on the side of "each’s" not being a proper construct, either as a contraction or a possessive.

Azh

Ah, az, you missed the pun. But I still like you (fascinated).

VB

[quote author=VB link=board=grammar;num=1130376357;start=0#7 date=10/28/05 at 09:16:43]Ah, az, you missed the pun. But I still like you (fascinated).

I didn’t miss the attempt at humour - but I wouldn’t call it a pun. A pun is meant to be a play on words, not a repetition of the original phrase without a change in inflection or meaning.

Call me obtuse if you like, or abstruse if you must, but surely even an attempted pun requires some minimal amount of humour.

Azh

sorry

Well, Azh, I thought "to each’s own" was pretty funnry, myself. For my penance I will read something turgid and high-brow.  :)
gailr

Thanks gailr.  ;)

Let me know if anything comes up.

V

Ok, I’m a student currently taking honours English and I’m writing an essay on cultural context. I was writing when I came across the word each’s in the sentence “...compare the restrictions imposed on the characters by each’s respective society”. Now to me it just doesnt sound right.. I’m just wondering if it is proper grammar, or if I should substitute it with something else. Any help?

I would say:  “by the respective society to which each belongs.”  (or something similar)  It may sound stilted, but you are in Honors English, and so to use it is a boon. (Don’t end the sentence with a
preposition.)

Ignore this

I don’t think so Eddie, I am using it to return a thread to the forum after three advertisements on this forum entry.

Each’s is just bad English.